Red Spider Lilies
by MusicOfMadness
Summary: Nakuka is one of the worst sisters a person could have. She's harsh, cold, intimidating, and prefers to be alone, but she was still Tsuna's sister. He supposes that she will never change, just as he'll always be Dame Tsuna. Because, of course, they'll never change. OC/SI Formerly Frozen Skies and Lullabies
1. The Cold Front Named Nakuka

Nakuka has never been a child of normality. She must have been born under a star of oddity or maybe she was a child genius, or at least, that's how she assumed Nana Sawada saw it. She would never blame the woman if she did think that her child was broken, defective if you will. Hell, she isn't too far from calling herself that. She was just a cold, hard bitch of a teenager stuck into the body of a child after all. She never expected there to be an afterlife for someone like her. Then again, she never thought too much about what would happen after she died.

She took the whole situation in stride, though. She didn't act surprised when she woke up on a pink bed with a happy anime girl depicted on the covers, she simply went with the flow and went downstairs for breakfast. The only thing that annoyed her in this life was her "brother", Sawada Tsunayoshi. He was high-pitched, useless, and a cry baby. He was everything she wasn't and he pissed her off.

So, it was no surprise when she received him with a cold glance and an dismissive tone once she got to know him. He seemed to have gotten the vibe from her that she didn't want him around, so he generally stayed away from her, only to talk to her when their mother asked him to get her for whatever meal that was sitting on the kitchen table. She merely passed off her boredom by criticizing him and insulting him, but other than that, she generally stayed in the vicinity of her room.

"Na-chan! Good morning, how's my birthday girl?" Nana, the happy go-lucky woman, smiled at the dark brown haired girl as she grunted in response and took her usual seat across from her son. The response didn't bother her as she was used to Nakuka's nonverbal responses, she was even able to decipher the girl's grunts and hums now! Though, her husband has yet to pick up on some of them. It generally ended up with a cold glare towards the patriarch of the Sawada household when his jokes have run their course.

"So, what would you like to have for breakfast?" Her warm eyes watched as her daughter shrugged and sat slumped in chair, staring absentmindedly at the table. She already knew at this point that asking her more questions over the topic would only leave an irate child in their midst, so she quickly whipped up some rice and omelets for them to enjoy while she got started on dishes.

"Ka-san! We already had this two days ago!" Tsuna's complaint died in his throat once he caught the glare of his younger sister's dark eyes. The cold, irate gaze made him stutter as his sister spoke to him in the biting tone he was familiar with by now.

"Oh, do you want something else then, Tsu-kun?"

"If you wanted something else, then you should make it yourself."

"It's alright, Ka-san. I'll just eat this." Their mother smiled, completely missing the intimidation that her daughter instilled into her son as she mistook Nakuka's threateningly low voice as a sleepy one. She obliviously washed the dishes and the floors before her eyes latched onto the wall clock and she gasped in surprise.

"Ah, Tsu-kun, Na-chan! You two are going to be late to school!" She watched as both her children got up to get ready. Of course, one clumsily stumbled their way up the stairs while the other calmly followed after, not worried about the consequences for being late.

"I'm leaving, Ka-san!" Tsuna ran out the door, miraculously not tripping as he shoved his shoes on and avoided the neighbor's chihuahua.

"Have a good day at school, Na-chan."

"Mn." Said girl gave her a quick glance as she nodded and slipped onto her bicycle, having enough sense to ask for one so that she didn't have to run to school. Nana lingered by the door, resting her chin in the palm of her hand.

"Ara~ What am I going to do with those two." A small sigh left her lips before she shook her head and entered back into the house to get her wallet. "Oh well, might as well get some groceries. I wonder what Tsu-kun and Na-chan would like to eat tonight?"

* * *

'Ah man, I can't believe I'm late again! I even got up earlier than I normally do, too!' Tsuna huffed and puffed as his admittedly short legs carried him towards the school, hoping to whatever higher being the might be there that he wasn't late and had to face the dreaded Head of the Disciplinary committee.

"Ah, Nakuka! Wait for me!" All he received for his desperate call was a blank glance as she pedaled towards the school, going more than double his running speed on her new bike. Tsuna instantly regretted his decision to spend his birthday money on more manga books, even though he promised his mom that he would buy academic books to help with his poor grades, a few months ago.

By the time he arrived at school, his younger sister already locked her bike into the bike rack and went to her class. He could feel the hairs on his arms raise as the bell of the school's clock run.

"Herbivore."

"Hieeee!" He let out a high pitched squeal as he dashed to class, already knowing that if he stayed then he'll get "bitten to death" by the violent skylark.

Tsuna ran to class and made it just in time so that his teacher only left him with a snide remark before ordering him to his seat. It didn't take Tsuna long to drift off into a daze, not even bothering to understand the material he was 75% sure he wouldn't understand. He merely tapped a pencil against a desk before he yelped and stood up when his teacher asked him a question he didn't catch.

"Sawada! What's the answer to this problem?" He had gotten use to this teacher's piss poor attitude. He already resigned himself to the fate of being Nezu-sensei's target of humiliation.

"I-I don't know." Tsuna sank down in his chair as his teacher made another remark about his idiocy and his fellow classmate's jeered at his response.

'Whatever. It's not like I'll ever use this stuff outside of school.' And so, Tsuna dozed off on his desk, not even masking his attempt to catch some shut eye.

* * *

"So, did Dame-Tsuna catch some nice Z's during class?" Tsuna jerked awake when one of his bullies flicked his cheek. The scrawny brunette scrambled for an answer only for the small group to poke more fun at him.

"Man, you're so useless, No Good Tsuna. At this rate you'll even fail at doing the simplest of things, like eating." The boys cackled at Tsuna's lack of skill. The boy weakly leaned back as one of them leaned forward.

"Huh, so what's new, No Good? I heard your little sister is a grade above you. Must be hard being so Dame." There it was, the subject that Tsuna dreaded. He and his sister never had a great relationship with each other. From an early age, he knew that she did not take a liking to him; she only interacted with him when she was forced to and whenever she did, she always had that empty gaze of hers fill up with contempt just for little ol' him. He suppose that he should feel relieved that he could evoke any sort of emotion from her, seeing as he would have to consider the possibility of her being a walking corpse if he didn't receive at least that.

"Poor, Nakuka. She must be embarrassed to have such a dame brother." Tsuna didn't doubt the possibility.

"I doubt it, man. She's practically a robot. She rarely shows any emotion."

"That's true." One of the boys agreed before he punched Tsuna's arm. "Well, see you after school, Dame Tsuna."

Tsuna rubbed his arm dejectedly, wondering what he did to deserve their wrath. He dug his bento out, quickly picking out the vegetables that he didn't like and throwing them away so that his sister couldn't reprimand him for wasting food again. He silently ate, sitting alone at his desk as his thoughts began to drift again. He found himself doing that a lot lately, though he doesn't have much else to do other than read mangas, and there was a limited amount of good ones before your resort to reading the ones that shouldn't have been approved by the producers in the first place.

"Shiori-chan, I heard that it was your older sister's birthday yesterday! So, how was it?"

"Oh my gosh, it was amazing! I got her these cute pair of earrings and she absolutely loved them! And then she took me out to karaoke and-"

Tsuna stopped listening to the girl as he packed up his bento, deciding to leave to go home despite the day being only half over. So, he quickly slung his stuff onto his shoulder and made his way home, thoughts drifting in his head as he did so.

'I wonder if Nakuka and I could have been that close...'

That was a thought that Tsuna often questioned himself when he was younger when he first started to notice his younger sister's distaste towards him. He suppose even his own family can't be immune to his dame-ness. At first he tried as hard as he could to impress and get Nakuka to like him, but as he grew older, he saw that there wasn't much point and stopped his attempts. She was a cold person and even their own mother, someone who practically radiated warmth, couldn't reach her black heart. She definitely was more successful than he and his no good father, though.

Most times, Nakuka won't even grace them with a response, instead opting to glare at them if their question irked her. She doesn't even call him by his name most times and if she does, then she calls him strictly his full first name instead of shortening it like everyone else.

"Maybe she's really related to Hibari-san and my real sister was switched with her." Though, he knew that couldn't be true. It was clear as day that they resembled each other. While he mainly took after his mother, she seemed to be more of a mix between their parents. His hair and eyes were a light shade of brown while her features took a more darker shade, though she seemed to luck out and inherited their mother's smooth locks instead of the same fluffy and hard to tame ones that Tsuna possessed. Her eyes were the same roundness as their mother's, but had a hint of their father's sharper eyes. Heck, the only thing that really bothered him was that she was just as tall as he was and was even growing past that despite being a year younger than him.

Tsuna flopped down as the thoughts in his head died down and the thoughts of his sister were replaced with the manga in his hands. Though, he didn't get far as his mother barged in and started to reprimand him for coming home in the middle of class. Geez, why couldn't people just leave him alone?

"Oh, and I hired you a home tutor." Hold on.

"What?! But mom, I don't need a tutor! Tell them not to come!"

"Well, you wouldn't listen to Nakuka when she tried to teach you, so I had to do it. Just look at this beautiful flier it came on." She held out said piece of paper and read it. "'Will raise your kid to be the leader of the next generation. Grade and subjects doesn't matter.' Isn't that great?!"

"I refuse to have a tutor! I'm not good at anything anyway!"

"Ciaossu." And that's when Tsuna's world turned upside down.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**Hey, so this chapter was mainly through Nakuka's family's eyes, but from here on out it will mostly center around Nakuka. I hope that you guys found it interesting. Leave me your thoughts and comments in the reviews, I'm interested in what you all think! **

**Thanks for reading!**


	2. Odd Expressions of Big Brother

School was as boring as usual for Nakuka. It was never very hard for her considering the fact that she had already learned this type of stuff many years before she died. Granted, she didn't remember everything a hundred percent, but the basic understanding was still there. After those boring lessons were done, she would usually wait for Tsunayoshi, as per request by her mother. Though, this time she was pissed as she caught word from some small time bullies that he went home around lunch time.

"Tch. Lazy asshole can't even doe his own work." Nakuka glanced ahead of her to see an auburn haired girl. She instantly knew who it was, Tsunayoshi did act like a loser and practically watched her every movement like the creep he was. She never got why he didn't just get over hi loser complex simply just talk to the overly peppy girl.

"Sasagawa Kyoko, please go out with me!" Nakuka stopped, almost recoiling, where she was when she spotted her older brother standing in the street in his heart print underpants. The girl who had been her main focus moments prior looked shell shocked.

"Kyaa!" She completely expected the scream that came from the girl as the auburn haired girl whacked him with her school bag before she ran away, leaving another boy to smack Tsunayoshi in the face before chasing after the girl. Nakuka sniffed in slight amusement before she walked over to the pitiful male.

Once Tsuna noticed the pair of shoes that were at the edges of his vision, he looked up, meeting the blank face of his sister, Nakuka. He braced himself for the scathing comment, forgetting about Reborn's presence for the moment.

"Nice." He blinked in surprise and watched as she walked on, not bothering to comment on the baby hitman that blatantly had a hand in the present situation.

'Hm, so this is Sawada Nakuka.' Reborn watched as the younger Sawada walked away from her brother, noting their interactions with each other.

"Get a move on, Dame Tsuna."

"Don't tell me what to- Ow!" A swift kick ended his grumble as Reborn slipped back into his thoughts.

"Dame Tsuna, what do you think about your sister." Of course, Reborn already read the files and knew that they had a particularly volatile relationship.

"Nakuka? We don't get along. She's really cold and doesn't like me. I don't really understand her."

Tsunayoshi let out a small sigh as his eyes trailed to the subject they were talking about, unaware of how Reborn's eyes studied him.

It was exactly as he thought, then, but one thing was bugging him. He talked to Iemitsu before arriving in Nanimori and it seemed like she had always acted this way.

Seeing this type of personality was not an uncommon thing for Reborn, he's met many people after all. Though, he didn't usually see this type of attitude in people who lived a quiet suburban life style with loving parents. Her brother turn out normally, why didn't she?

While her brother's eyes expressive and he displayed emotions on the dime, she always had a stony face paired with her lifeless eyes that took in the world around her, almost as if she wasn't a part of it herself. Though, Reborn decided the strange situation wasn't worth the worry as he kicked the wimpy boy along.

Once they got home, he explained the basics to the next Vongola in line. Of course, that idiot tried to worm his way out of the job, but he wasn't about to let that happen.

"i'm a mafioso and I"ll make sure to make you into one of the best." He quickly reverted into his innocent guise when Nana poked her head through the opening in the door to tell them that dinner was ready. They trekked downstairs (well, if you count using Tsuna as a surfboard down the stairs as 'trek', then sure) and took a seat at the dining table.

"Kaa-san, did you really have to hire a tutor? I can manage myself." Tsuna mad one last appeal to his mother before his hopes were dashed by his sister.

"If you could manage yourself, then you wouldn't need a tutor."

"That's right, Tsu-kun. I just want you to get better at your studies, this will be good for you!"

'Interesting.' Reborn examined as Tsuna shrunk back. No wonder she had such a handle on her older brother, the pressure around her seems to grow heavier when she's irate. He was fast enough to catch the momentary sharpening of her eyes before it dulled down into emptiness again and the pressure disappeared.

"Tsunayoshi, did you eat all of your bento today?" Her eyes flickered upwards and Tsuna stiffened slightly.

"Yeah, I did." Reborn watched in amusement as her eyes narrowed.

"Don't lie to me."

"I really did! Why do you care, anyway?"

_"Tsuna."_ The biting tone cowed him as he sank into his chair and left her with a slightly satisfied look, making a side comment before she went back to her meal. "Don't lie to me."

'Hm,' Reborn smirked as he, too, dug into his meal with more finesse than a baby should have. 'How interesting.'

* * *

The next day, school wen on like it normally did. I simply turned my assignments in and absentmindedly took down notes as my teacher droned on and on about what happened hundreds of years ago from the dusty, old textbook of his. Soon enough, class turned into lunch and I got up to eat in a more secluded place, seeing as the one person I usually ate with was gone for today.

So, I travelled to one of the benches outside and tied my dark hair back to keep it from smacking me in the face from the wind. I unwrapped the overly girly bento cloth that my mother bought me as silently ate my lunch. A small tightening of my insides made me turn around, noticing the baby that my mother hired yesterday. I didn't pay attention to the whole situation or thought about it too much, but I nodded in acknowledgment, nonetheless.

"What do you want?" I mumbled around my chopsticks, vaguely aware of my slightly rude attitude. He is younger than me, so I guess I had some leeway. Respect your elders and all that.

"Aren't you going to watch Tsuna's fight?" I was silent for a few seconds as I chewed on my food.

"He's fighting? That doesn't sound like him." I ran my tongue over my sharp teeth, making sure food was not stuck between them.

"What'd he do to cause it?"

"Are you going to watch the fight?" I didn't feel too bothered as I noticed he ignored my question. I simply shrugged and spoke my disinterest in the situation. "The fight will be in the school's gym." And he hopped away.

"Tch, he expects me to go." I let out a huff as I capped my bento off and sat silently on the bento. I sat there for a few minutes, staring at the sakura trees that lined the school's entrance. An agitated sigh left me as I knew that I was doing exactly what he wanted.

"What a bunch of bull." I pushed the door to the gym, displeased with the amount of people packed in the place. I came in just in time to see a uncharacteristically focused Tsunayoshi straddling some kid that I see around the school every once in a while. ALl noises seemed to dwindle out all of a sudden as Tsunayoshi held up a clump of hair.

"I got hyakupon!" Even I had to admit that I was surprised as the crowd bursted into laughter.

"That's smart, Tsuna!" He never specified what you had to get ippon off of!" My eyebrows knitted together slightly, wondering why no one was bothered by the sudden personality change and the fact that he was able to rip all of that hair off in one go. I strained to get a better look at the situation as I forced myself onto the tips of my toes, only to be blocked by some of the more taller audience members. So, I did what was natural and stood on top of the bleacher seats.

"Dammit!" My eyes widened slightly when he let out a roar and started to rip out all of the other guy's hair. I think he was the kid from the other day. "Zembupon!"

"R-Red!" The referee stuttered out in surprise, slight fear coloring his words.

"I was less interested in the win and more interested in the orange flam that fizzled out on his forehead, though. Tsunayoshi's expression went back to his normal deer-in-headlights one and people started to crowd him as that Kyoko girl from yesterday started to talk to him, but I didn't pay attention as I shifted my gaze when something told me to look up near the lights. I swore I saw something shift up there, but it seemed nothing was up there as I scanned it. Against my suspicions, I adverted my gaze, sparing one more glance towards Tsunayoshi.

I hopped off of the bleacher and exited the gym. I let myself detach from reality as I watched my feet walk along the ground towards my classroom, aware of the fact that class had started a long time ago.

"What did you think of the match?" I glided to a stop, the baby popping out of nowhere and standing on the window sill. I shrugged noncommittally.

"Did you have something to do with all of this?" The small smirk on his face left me on guard.

"Maybe so."

"Whatever, I need to get to class." I sighed and walked away, deciding that this wasn't the time. I saw someone ahead of me in the hallways as I got closer to my classroom. I adverted my eyes as to not have any awkward eye contact, only to glance back at them and noticed how the boy was headed towards the gym. A vague memory came up and I remember that he was the guy that everyone was afraid of, but I couldn't recall his name. I haven't really seen this guy around very much, but I had to respect the fact that he was able to control everyone with fear.

I silently slipped into my chair right as my teacher came in. Soon the rest of the class flooded in, berated for putting their education on hold for something so trivial before the lesson began. A sigh silently passed my lips as I put myself in autopilot and copied notes while I started to daydream, shifting in and out of awareness as I did so.

'I wonder what tomorrow has in store for me.'

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**Well, here's another chapter. I'm suspecting the story won't get too interesting until the guardians finally show up as I didn't care much for the first 20-30 chapters/episodes of KHR. So, most likely I'll try to make it go as fast as I can to get it over with. Also, thanks to all those who favorite/followed my story, it means a lot and really keeps me going!**

**I also made a quick picture of Nakuka, so check it out on my Deviantart page: ProCrastWork.**

**edited: 28 December 2014**


	3. Sleepy Time in a Bottle

Cocky. Cocky was the first thing that ran through my head once I arrived at school the next day. I didn't know what happened to Tsunayoshi to put him in such a _happy_ mood. Though, I could tell the cocky bastard was glowing from the compliments he was being showered in from his one sided kendo match yesterday. Has he already forgotten that these were the same people who mercilessly called him Dame Tsuna? What an idiot. I felt a strong urge that made me want to crush his cockiness into a million pieces and bring him down to earth. Nonetheless, irritation spiked in my veins as I glowered, not even bothering to give him my words of wisdom and hate as I briskly walked past him to get to the second year hallway.

As per usual, I ignored my classmates and sat at my desk, preparing myself for class when I a feeling in my gut told me to look up.

"So, the great Nakuka is finally here. What took you so long, your idiot brother?" The unimpressed frown of my lips did not dissipate as I looked up to see a blonde girl. The same blonde haired, raspberry eyed girl that preferred to bully (though I say that loosely, as her annoying obsession never really bothered me) me instead of actually finding some friends to gossip with like the rest of the brain dead girls in my class.

"I'm flattered that you think so highly of me. It's good to know that I'm appreciated, Tanpopo." I commented flatly as the blonde's ears reddened.

"It's Tane! I hate being called Tanpopo!"

I flipped open my textbook and started to scan over the information. "Why do you think I call you that?" She bristled in embarrassment before she noticed that she lost my attention and huffed as she stomped away. What can I say? I'm the master of insouciance.

"All right, class!" I sighed silently as the annoyingly beatific teacher clapped her hands. I could feel the jovial smile of hers already wear down my tolerance for others.

'I will choke out your happiness and strangle it with a rope. It's too early for this shit.' The corner of my mouth twitched as the horrifyingly happy teacher finally got over her morning greetings and got started with what really mattered.

"Nakuka-chan, would you like to answer this question?" A smile of doom flashed towards me as I shifted so that I fully sitting up instead of slouching like before. If there was one other thing that bothered, it would be the odd fact that Mizutani-sensei seems to have taken a great liking towards me.

"15," I answered after a few seconds of scanning the question. I grimaced when the woman flounced over and stuck a sticker smack dab on the center of my forehead.

"Good job, Nakuka-chan!"

'Please, don't touch me.' I gingerly peeled the circular sticker off, reading it to see the words "good job" in a speech bubble coming out of a penguin's mouth, clearly missing the opportunity to make a joke about the climate that said animal lives in.

I ignored the stupidity of my class's answers as sleep started to take over me. I blacked out for a few minutes before a squeal of surprise jolted me into reality.

"Klukukan-sama! Class, look! It's one of the greatest men to ever live! What is the reason for this pleasant visit, Klukukan-sama?"

"I'm here to collect, Nakuka." The sleep instantly left my system as I felt everyone's eyes shift towards me. My eyebrows knitted in uncertainty.

"Of course! Please, take her with you Klukukan-sama." I got up, displeased with the fact that the fangirl-ing woman decided my fate for me. A hand on my shoulder stopped me from the faintly coffee scented midget.

"Get an autograph for me, Nakuka-chan." The hot breathed whisper made me uncomfortable as it clung to my hair curtaining around my ear, making me bring a hand up to it in discomfort, sending the starry eyed woman a look that clearly displayed how I felt. I quickly gave up on it once I noticed that she was too far gone in her fantasies to actually take note of it.

"I'm not fucking getting you an autograph." I grouched inaudibly to myself.

Though, with a reluctant sigh, I fluidly walked out of the classroom and closed the sliding door behind me. I languidly turned around and flicked my hair over my shoulder, putting my hands on my hips and raising my eyebrow as I stared at Kukukan, or whatever his name is, questioningly.

"So, what's with the outfit?"

"You need to dress the part when you meet the fans." I blankly stared as Reborn, I finally learned his name, shed his costume.

"Sure, now why'd you call me out of class? I don't want to make up notes because of this."

"Your grades wouldn't suffer if you did miss class. You constantly ask your mother to call you in sick so that you can relax at home."

I shrugged. "School's boring and it's not even hard. Might as well just stay home."

"Then, you can watch Tsuna's volleyball game." I kept my face apathetic as I studied the small person. Since when did I stop considering him an infant?

"Why would I do that? I don't care about what he does."

"I'll call you in as absent for the rest of the day."

"Sounds tempting, but I'd rather do well on my tests than to see Tsunayoshi fail at hitting a moving object." I leaned against the wall, figuring this conversation was going to take a while.

"It'll be worth your while. I'm sure you will be quite surprised with the turnout." I blinked in curiosity. Just what was he talking about? I ignored what he said for the moment as I crouched down to be near his level of height.

"Can you call me in sick tomorrow, too, and convince mom to let me go around Nanimori's shopping district alone." The small smirk was all I needed from the coffee scented midget.

"The match is in the gym, you should get going if you're going to make it in time."

"Mn-hm." I hummed monotonously as I casually strolled away, not bothering to run to where said destination was. I'm sure I won't miss much in the minute or two that it takes to get there.

Once I did get to the gym, I found myself a seat in very top of the bleachers, vaguely surprised with the amount of people that came to the game. I scanned my surroundings and concluded that they must have been here for a kid named Yamamoto based on some of the signs were held up with disgusting glittery hearts. Tsunayoshi must have been the other half of the reason since my ears caught his name a few times.

"Begin!" The referee shouted. I leaned back against the wall, taking note how the team that Tsunayoshi was on was uncharacteristically depending on him. I snorted.

"How stupid." And just as I expected, Tsunayoshi caught the ball with his manly (ha, like I can call him manly) parts and collapsed on the ground. The ball hit him a few more times as the crowd and his team started to get agitated, thinking he wasn't trying his best. "Tch, it's just because he sucks. Why did you even want me to come? He always plays like this." I glanced at the toddler when I felt him land next to me.

"You'll know when the time comes." I cocked my head to the side and looked out onto the court, noticing how Tsunayoshi was talking to his teammates. I glanced at the toddler and he answered my unspoken question. "I need to go take care of something."

That something was obviously Tsunayoshi, but who am I to poke my nose into people's business?

'I should have brought my homework.' A small frown graced my face as I watched the people on the court take a break. I leaned my head back and sighed. 'Maybe I should go to my locker and get my stuff?'

* * *

Tsuna couldn't do it. He couldn't go back in that gym and let everyone know that yesterday was a fluke and that he was just being cocky. He turned the faucet on with a sigh and splashed some cold water on his face.

"Not going home?" Even the squeaky voice of his tutor didn't break him from his contemplation.

"Yeah." Tsuna's fingers gripped the edges of the basin, a small frown of worry on his face. "I'm going."

"Later." He heard Reborn say, but the uncharacteristically passive statement didn't register to him as odd as he kept running. He ran towards the gym, but slowed down right as it came into sight.

'How embarrassing, getting cocky and simply accepting a request.' He pried the doors open to see the surprised and hopeful faces of his classmates. 'And for using the dying will bullets for what my classmates are working hard to do.' A rush of shame filled him as a determined expression became etched on his face. 'I'll just do everything I can and then apologize after the game.'

And that was when he felt a piercing pain in both of his legs. He fell down with a yelp and examined his pants which now had to two suspiciously bullet like holes in them.

"Huh, what's going on?" He looked at his hands, noting how nothing was happening. "Nothing happened..." He didn't have enough time to ponder what was going on as the ref blew the whistle.

"It's coming your way, Tsuna! Block it!"

"Okay!"

'Do all that I can.' Tsuna closed his eyes and jumped as everyone watched with wide eyes. Tsuna finally opened his eyes and noticed how high up he was, his feet were above the tallest members head! Elation filled him for a brief second before pain filled him. He blocked the ball all right, he just didn't expect to block it with own set.

Everyone winced, but cheered him on, nonetheless. The game went quickly after that and once it was over, he was the center of a swamp of bodies just like yesterday. A sense of warmth filled him at actually accomplishing something and not being viewed as a failure by peers. As he thanked everyone, he looked up into the bleachers and saw the last person that he thought would come watch him. His little sister's expression was the same, but it seemed different as if it didn't hold the same cold weight it usually did. And for once, Tsuna felt like the world was right, even if he did later find out that Reborn's bullets help him once again.

* * *

True to Reborn's words, I got out of school the next day and since it was Friday, I got to have a three day weekend. Of course, I asked Reborn to get me all of my homework which was delivered by some half scared man in a suit. I didn't question is as I took the money that my mom offered me, sending me a bright smile as she said to be careful. I nodded and soon found myself in the shopping district.

"What should I do now?" I looked around at the shops and cafes, wondering if any of them would kick me out because I should be in school. And so I went to one of the nearby cafes and ordered a safe dish that I was about 75% that I would like. I waited patiently and scrolled through my mother's cellphone, seeing as she wanted some way for me to contact her if something were to happen, until my meal came. I clicked the device off as I reveled in the silence of the cafe, glad that I came in during school hours.

Now, I would usually sit there and let myself blank out while I ate, but it seems that I wasn't as fortunate as my mind brought up some old memories, memories that should have been forgotten once I woke up in the body of Sawada Nakuka.

'I wonder what they're doing now. Were they happy when I died?' I stared into my murky yellow soup. "Tch, assholes are probably happy now that I'm gone."

"Are you done, yet?" I glared at the older female as she stood next to my table. Now, I'm normally polite, despite my idea that everyone's an idiot, but her slight infliction in her tone pissed me off as I was already in a bad mood.

"I'm done when I'm done." Her face twisted into a slight sneer before she disappeared behind the counter, probably due to that "customer is always right" bullshit that some people like to spout. And so I sat in that chair or an extra five minutes despite the fact that I was already done.

I then got up and left the cafe, vowing to never come back unless that woman was gone. As I walked the streets, my fingers twitched. A phantom craving for some sleeping pills curled in my stomach before it disappeared the next moment. I sighed in exasperation.

"You'd think that dying and being brought back to life would kill any addictions you had in your past life." I sat on the swings of a park that I happened to pass. I gripped the dirty chains in my hands as I swung myself into motion and leaned back as I did so, watching the unbearably bright sky above me. I always did wonder why the sky looked so fake on sunny days.

"Hey, what are you doing out of class?" I uprighted myself as I spotted a shady looking teen. Though I say shady, he honestly looked pretty normal. Just the fact that he had a backpack on and isn't in class just made me wary.

"I'm on break. What do you want?" I stood up casually, ready for any situation that came my way.

"I see, do you want some fun?"

"You might wanna clarify what you mean." I raised an eyebrow. Honestly, if this guy is asking for sex, then he can fuck off.

"Some happy times, dreamland in a pill?"

"You mean drugs, then."

"You want some?" I paused as some part of me ached for whatever the teen had, but I sighed and shook my head. It was a pain in the ass now that I realized how hard the drugs, even though I only took sleeping and caffeine pills, had hit me now that I have a new, clean body.

"Don't have any money, I suggest finding some people who look down or stupid." He flashed me a smile as he shouldered his back, his black hair gleaming in the sun.

"No problem, thanks for the suggestion." He fumbled for a second as my phone went off. "Ah-uh, see you later?"

"Maybe." I said offhandedly as I watched him walk away, pleasantly surprised that I didn't have to pull out the bitch card. Once I was sure he was gone, I brought up the phone to see that mom had texted me to walk Tsunayoshi home. How she texted me when I had her phone, no clue, but the fact that she's probably trying to make me bond with him again irked me. But I complied, nonetheless, as I walked towards Nanimori middle.

It took me about thirty minutes to get to our school, but I got there only five minutes late. I hoped I didn't miss Tsunayoshi or else I would have wasted my time coming here.

"Jyuudaime!" I blinked and looked over to where the shout came from. I was surprised to see some prematurely aging boy following after my big brother. I raised my eyebrows as I pushed off of the entrance and let them come to me.

"Who are you?" My eyes narrowed at the threatening tone. "Do I have to blow you away."

"G-Gokudera!"

"Don't worry I'll take care of her, Jyuudaime!"

"Hah?" I sneered. "Who do you think you're talking to?"

"Why you- Jyuudaime?" The silver haired kid took out what looked like flares or fireworks before Tsunayoshi put a hand to his shoulder with a panicked look on his face.

"Stop, Gokudera! She's my sister!"

"S-Sister?" His face turned ashen as he suddenly dove into a bow as he groveled on the ground. "I'm terribly sorry for the treachery that I have committed, Jyuudaime's sister! To raise a hand against such an important person is unforgivable!" I made a face as I noticed how some stupids stopped to watch.

"It's alright-" I tried reasoning with him to stop bringing attention towards me, but his next shout interrupted what I had to say.

"No, I could never repent for such actions!"

"Just get up. If you want to repent, then you'll stop acting like an idiot and get up." This "Gokudera" looked up and unsurely got up as my glare lightened. I huffed in exasperation before I turned towards my brother and held up the phone.

"Mom told me walk you home." I glanced towards the dejected the other male, wondering what his problem was. "I'm sure she'll want to meet your new lackey."

"H-He's not my lack-!" Tsunayoshi paused in his frantic reply as a dark cloud seemed to hang over his friend. "Uh, I mean... he's a friend."

"I will do you proud, Jyuudaime, Jyuudaime's sister!" I eyebrow raised as he bowed to me, too. I had no clue what this kid was thanking me for, but I didn't care at the moment.

"It's Nakuka. I will respond to no other." I plucked the cigarette out of his mouth and snubbed it out on the ground. "And I will not tolerate smoke when I'm around, got it?" I didn't wait for a reply as I turned around, my bad mood making my actions more bold and commanding than usual.

'Honestly, why does he always bring trouble?'

"Hurry up!" I barked at the two before I muttered to myself. "And I thought this was suppose to be a relaxing day."

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**Hey, thanks to all those who favorite, comment, or followed this story last chapter. It means a lot and really helps me push out more chapters. I will try to update at least once a week, but I'm extremely busy with school, so I'll try my best.**

**Please comment and let me in on your thoughts, I love seeing what people think!**

**Thanks again and see you all again soon!**


	4. The Sun that Loved Baseball

**Author's Notes:**

**Hello everyone, sorry that it has been such a long time since I've last updated. School has been a pain in the butt.**

**Anyway, I know I make a lot of mistakes in my work since I don't usually go over it due to my strict schedule (and because I'm lazy), so if you guys catch anything then feel free to send me a private message. I'd rather it be in a PM instead of review, because I don't want the reviews to be muddled up with my spelling/grammar mistakes instead of actually having constructive reviews. Thanks for the cooperation!**

* * *

It has been about a week since that foreigner guy started following Tsunayoshi around. For the most part, it hasn't really bothered me since I don't spend that much time with them. Though, I do make sure to yell at them to be quiet when I'm at home. I admittedly don't do much at home or at school; it's simply a "rinse, wash, repeat" cycle for me. How lame, the only thing I have going for me are my good grades.

I turned my eyes to the window, looking at the outside world as the almost too perfect clouds drifted past. 'I wonder if people would notice if I disappeared.' I tilted my head and stared at the grounds below when the brightness of the sky started to burn my eyes, I caught the scrawny figure of my brother below as I leaned against my broom.

'Huh, he team must have lost at baseball again.' I huffed at the thought as I went back to cleaning. I was the only one cleaning the classroom as the other person cleaning with me has already cleaned their side of the room. I simply took my time, not bothering to hurry up. There really wasn't anything waiting for me at home, after all. Eventually, I cleaned my half of the classroom and stored the broom away, taking a moment to look at the baseball field and sighing in irritation.

"The idiot didn't even do half the field." And so I left for the field, taking a moment to grab the rake that we use to make the fields even. I was already halfway across the field before I stopped and took in the sight of another boy leveling out the dirt. I debated going back before he saw me, but I was already there, so I simply moved to an unfinished part of the field and went to work, hoping he wouldn't talk to me.

"Oh! Who are you?" I briefly looked over at the smiling face, not feeling the sunny warmth that he was trying to convey.

"I'm Nakuka." I pushed the mound of dirt in front of me as I quietly muttered my statement, hoping the kid would get a clue and stop talking. They generally do anyway, I guess there's just an air about me that makes people feel awkward talking to me.

"Hey, you're Tsuna's older sister!"

"Ah, not quite... I'm younger than him, I'm just in the grade above."

"So you're really smart, then? That's awesome, I'm not very good at my studies. Baseball is really the only thing I'm good at, but even that is not going well right now." I glanced at the tall boy before shifting my eyes away, not sure what I was suppose to say to that. "My baseball average has been dropping and I might not be able to be a starter for the first time since I started playing baseball."

"I'm sorry to hear that." I feigned sympathy as I know knowing about sports, so empathizing is out of the question. Well, there's that and the fact that there are worse things in life; it may be the bitchy, dead teen inside me, but I think he should just get over it. I died for fuck's sake and I'm not complaining.

"You know, I actually asked your brother for some advice. He said that some more practice might do me some good, I actually plan on working on my batting once I'm done with the field!"

"Why would you ask Tsunayoshi for advice in sports? He knows next to nothing about it." I studied the kid as he shrugged.

"He's been doing well lately in whatever he does, I figured that he would be able to help me."

"Has he?" I muttered quietly to myself. Sure, he did do well in his kendo and volleyball match, but those are probably flukes. There was definitely something off about the whole situation, but I'm not around him enough to know. I simply sighed and put the thought aside, I'll most likely forget about the situation after this.

"Do you have advice for me?"

"What? Uh, not really. I guess all you can do is try your best and don't stress yourself over it." I tensed when an arm was thrown over my shoulder and a boisterous laugh resonated in my ears albeit painfully.

"I knew you were a good person, Nakuka-senpai!"

"I'm only a grade above you, you're actually older than me." I protested weakly as I tried to get out of his grip.

"Haha~ Well, thanks for the help, Nakuka-chan! You I'll take in the equipment when I'm done practicing."

"Oh, okay. Thanks, then." I dropped the rake to the side as he loaded baseballs into a machine, I stood there awkwardly before deciding to be polite and say goodbye to him. He let out a breathy laugh as he slugged a baseball bat over his shoulder.

"See you later, Nakuka-chan!"

'I should have just let him call me senpai.'

And so I left, hearing the crack of a bat against a leather ball as I did so. Once I arrived home I slung my book bag into my room, glared at my brother and read a note that was left behind by my mother.

_"Dinner is on the table. Call me if you need me to get you something from the store. - love, Maman."_

I sighed as I stuck the sticky note back on the fridge, no doubt that my manga reading brother had missed it when he skimped out on his duties and returned home. My irate mood spiked when I spotted the empty dish, knowing that is was Tsunayoshi's, I took a deep breath and yelled up the stairs.

"Tsunayoshi, clean up your mess!"

**Thud**

"Hiiiieeeee!" I huffed as I recognized that wimpy scream of his. What made me raise an eyebrow was something that sounded akin to an explosion from upstairs. I didn't bother checking it out as I yelled once more.

"You better be down here by the time I count to ten. One, two, three!" I stopped when I heard the familiar sound of a body falling down the stairs. I blew out a sigh and ventured out of the kitchen, spotting the collapsed body of my older brother. "I swear..." I shook my head in exasperation as I side stepped him and climbed the stairs. I closed my door behind me and laid on my bed, deciding that sleep would take the day's nonsense away until another loud noise interrupted my attempt at sleep.

"Shut up!"

* * *

I'm so done with this bullshit. I let out an aggravated sigh as I grudgingly did my work, refusing to let the other two members of my group touch it as I feared their stupidity was contagious. Yes, they were that idiotic. Unfortunately, I was also stuck in the same group as Tanpopo.

"We should just split the project in equal parts so that it'll get done faster!" I snorted at the blonde's voice as I glanced at the clock.

'Only ten more minutes.'

"Hey, did you hear me, Nakuka?!" I continued to work on the small project, hoping the blonde would just shut up. "Hey!"

"Shut up. I heard you the first time."

"Then why didn't you answer me?" I gave the raspberry-eyed girl a flat stare as she put her hands on her hips.

"Your plan is stupid and we go through the same process practically every week. You tell me, dandelion." The girl's face turned a healthy shade of red, but I didn't bother listening to her squawking anymore as the bell rung and I dumped everything into my bag.

"Hey, get back here, Nakuka!" I sighed and stopped for a second, debating on what should I do for a split second before I turned around and stuck out my tongue.

"Yeah right, idiot."

"Hey!"

My feet continued to carry me away from the shrieking blonde, my bag and bento swinging on my left side as I went to one of the only spots that guaranteed isolation. I shielded my eyes once I opened the metal door to the roof, noting how the squeak from the door hinges was now fixed.

"Huh, someone sure is diligent in the maintenance department." I shielded my eyes as I walked out into the warm atmosphere, the birds were chirping, and the sun was shining. Truthfully, it would have been a perfect day to a lot of people, too bad that I'm more of a rain kind of girl. Oh, and there was also some sketchy guy looking over the railing.

I stopped and stared at the young teen, waiting for him to acknowledge my presence.

"Huh? Oh, it's you, Nakuka." The lack of honorifics didn't bother me as I stared at the teen, his face seemed unnaturally darker today. My eyes trailed toward the kid's arm as his other one kept a grip on the rusty railing of the fence.

"What happened to your arm?" He let a strangled smile appear on his face as he stared down at the wrapped appendage.

"Ah, when I was practicing yesterday, I accidentally broke it." He seemed to deflate a little as he recounted the event. "It seems like I won't be able to play baseball anymore."

"Why can't you can't play anymore? Your arm will heal."

"Yeah, but by the time it does, then I'll be way behind where I need to be in my skills." His gaze dropped to his feet and I noticed how his hand strained at the force of his grip on the fence.

"You're still in middle school, you can catch up if you set your mind to it." The despair that he displayed didn't make sense to me, even as he turned to me and set a pair of pained brown eyes on me.

"I can't, it's impossible. There's no use." It seemed like he couldn't take it anymore as he turned around and whispered to himself as if I wasn't there. "There's no point if I can't do baseball anymore."

"So that's it? You're just going to give up? There's more to life than baseball, if you're just going to give up on everything because you can't play baseball for a little bit, then you're a bigger fucking idiot then I thought you were." My dark eyes set a hard gaze on him, narrowing as he turn to meet them. A past anger seemed to rise out of me and a person replaced the boy for a few seconds before I shook the memory away. "You can either toughen up and deal with it or end it right now like a pathetic weakling. You're not the only person suffering, so don't act like it."

I proceed to spin around and sharply made my way to the door. I shut the door a little bit harder than necessary and made my way down to my classroom, my bento forgotten in my hand as I sat back down at my assigned seat in class. I didn't have that much of an appetite anymore as I slouched down in my chair, a strangely heavy sensation sitting in my stomach as the few students in the classroom mingled with one another.

"Hey, everyone! Yamamoto is going to jump from the roof!" There was a buzz of noise as everyone rushed out, I looked on and blankly took in the situation. I wasn't stupid, though. I knew that the kid was Yamamoto. Cold reality made me stand, but not follow the flood of students whom headed for the roof.

Instead, I stood by the windows, looking up at the not so distant figure of the baseball player as he gripped the chain link fence with his only available life line. The other being the reason why he was trying to snuff out that life. It was oddly peaceful as the silence made me feel comfortable, yet so isolated. The fact that I might be staring at someone's final moments never made me cry or feel bad for anything that I might have said or done to contribute to it. I simply took it in as a fact, as in the fact that this Yamamoto was going to jump.

And the fact if it was anyone who should jump, it should be me.

* * *

Yamamoto stared at the grounds below him, he ignored the mass of students who muttered worriedly behind him. He didn't care, though. They didn't care about him, they only cared about how he played. It didn't matter anymore, he couldn't play baseball. He couldn't do it. He wasn't able to. He's worthless now, the baseball gods abandoned him when he needed them most.

Maybe it was a a sign, a sign that told he was no good. Maybe it was the world trying to tell him he wasn't good enough. He wasn't after all. He didn't get good grades. He couldn't win that practice game yesterday and made his team lose, and even though no one blamed him, he still saw it as his fault. No, no one would blame him, because they believed he was perfect. They believed he could do any sport perfectly with just the flick of the wrist. Sure, he was good, but no one seemed to acknowledge the countless hours he poured into the sports he did, baseball in particular.

No, no one acknowledged that. Not even his own father. He was aware of the fact that his father was proud of him, but that only made it worse. He failed his own father now, he couldn't do the one thing that made his father proud. He, Yamamoto Takeshi, couldn't make his father proud. He couldn't make anyone proud, especially her.

A faded smile, curtained by silky black locks, flashed through his mind as he leaned forward just enough to incur the cries of his admirers and so called friends. It didn't matter, though, he couldn't keep up with the unspoken promise that he made with that one person. That person who was so soft and loving, enveloping him in warm hugs as she silently listened to him on his bad days. She was the light in their family, the sunshine in their sky; she was the sun that grew cold and withered away, leaving them to stumble in the dark. The same sun that he tried to take the place of as he flashed the same smile that he inherited from her.

And just like in most of his games, the sun shone down on him, cheering him on as he sent baseballs towards it, hoping it would reach it, only to be disappointed when it eventually fell to earth. He knew how much the sport meant to her and he intended for her to one day seem him on the big screen with his own uniform in a stadium full of cheering fans, but no one told him that the sun could die. No one.

He couldn't do the one thing that made people proud of him and he knew he was worthless. Just one jump and he would rid everyone of his worthless self.

And that was when he heard a yelp and thud behind him. Yamamoto decided to quench his curiosity one last time before he joined the sun as he turned around.

He was vaguely surprised when he saw the Sawada. He small feeling of resentment went through him as he pleaded with him to not jump. What would he know?! His potential is rising and no one relies on him to carry the rest of the team on his back! He should understand to some extent, right? It's better to die than to fail.

So, he said it, watching how Tsuna's eyes went wide in surprise. Ah, so he didn't understand. And so, his anger spiked when Tsuna said they were different. Yamamoto could tell, he could tell how arrogant Tsuna had gotten when the kendo match was over. A bitter taste was left in his mouth when he could imagine himself in his shoes. He was in his shoes at one point, too.

"No, it's because I'm no good!" Blatant surprise colored his face as if he couldn't believe his ears. He continued to be stunned as the smaller male explained himself before proceeding to run away. He couldn't say why, but he felt his hand reach forward as he grabbed onto the boy's shirt.

"Wait, Tsuna." He didn't expect the boy to fall back into him as the next thing he knew, he was staring up at the blue sky. Panic and regret flooded him as he continued to fall. He let out a strangled scream as gravity tugged his being and at that moment, he realized that he didn't want to die. For some reason, Tsuna seemed to have transformed and lost his clothes at the same time, but more importantly, transformed into a different person as he grabbed onto Yamamoto.

An odd feeling of peace filled him once he did so. His eyes turned up toward the sun for a split second, he swore he saw a pair of familiar dark eyes watching him fall. Before he knew it, he was on the ground. The two were silent as the both recuperated from their near death. His wide eyes took in the ground as his thoughts reeled. Shame flood his system as he realized how foolish he was to try to end his life, not taking the time to realize how hurt his father would have been. He would have been purposely leaving his father alone if he was successful with his suicide. His mother wouldn't have been happy either, maybe she would have cried?

A shiver ran up his body at the thought, so he casted it away and focused on the relief of being alive.

"You're amazing, Tsuna. I don't know what I was thinking! Nothing good comes out of my idiocy." He rubbed at the back of his head in embarrassment.

"Yamamoto..." Tsuna stared at him before the two started to laugh together, almost hysterically as they almost met their end. And for the first time in weeks, he felt happy.

* * *

Nakuka was surprised when she saw her brother fall from the roof along with Yamamoto. She watched in disbelief as the two fell faster and faster towards the grounds below. She continued to stare as the two made it out all right, being saved from a naked Tsunayoshi that briefly had a spring pop out of his head. She couldn't believe the miracle that occurred as the two boys seemed to be laughing, so she ignored the students returning to class as she stared. She did die and come to life as new person, though, who's to say that something like that was impossible.

And so she continued on with class, her mind not quite attached to the real world as she did her work and eventually headed home. The attempted jump would plague her mind for the rest of the night and even through her dreams as she watched a past figure fall from the ledge of her school and eventually herself as the floor caved under her and dropped her towards the earth. She knew the person would bloom into a field of red spider lilies, oddly dripping a metallic fluid as she too fell towards the field. Only she would not become a field herself. No, she always woke up before her dream could dictate her past self's fate. And so the process would repeat into the next day until she finally made herself forget about the adrenaline inducing nightmare, but even then, she couldn't shake the memory the clung to the back of her mind as she went about her day as Sawada Nakuka. The girl with two loving parents and a wimpy older brother. The girl who was born with one life, not two.

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

**Wow, my writing got pretty angsty towards the end. Sorry 'bout that. :P Were any of you surprised by the section with Yamamoto?**

**Again, I'm sorry for the long wait. I've just had so much reading to do that I'm swamped by it.**

**Anyhow, I would like to know what you all thought about the chapter. And thanks to all of you new followers/favoriters!**

**Hopefully, I'll post another chapter soon. Not just for this story, but for my Ouran fanfic as well.**

**See you guys later!**

**Edit:**

**By the way, what Nakuka says is merely how she views it. I don't blame anyone for feeling down once in a while or think they're weak for feeling that way. Nakuka's just a bitch. :P**


	5. Onigiri Hustler

The sun is shining the birds are chirping, and I'm in a bad mood, but what else is new? It seems as of lately, Tsunayoshi has been bring a lot more people into the house. First it was that silver haired lap dog, then the baseball kid, and then there was that one girl whom wrecked our kitchen last week.

I was a little more than pissed when I saw all the shattered dishes and splintered cabinet doors, but Reborn assured me that they would all be replaced without any strain on our budget. I asked why the room was like that in the first place and it seemed as if they were playing russian roulette and the loser- which turned out to be the girl- had to strip down to their undergarments. He said that the girl and my mother were so embarrassed that the dishes my mother was carrying fell to the floor in her shock. There was an element of disbelief in the story that gave me a suspicion that the story wasn't true, but I didn't speak up about it. I didn't care one way or another as long as everything was replaced for free.

Anyway, to the matter at hand, the reason for my bad mood was that a new person seemed to join the household. That person happened to be a small child. A small, whiny child. A small, whiny, annoying child. And I'm this close to snapping and wringing his tiny little neck. Snot nosed brat should be grateful that I like Mother enough that I don't murder his cow print covered ass. On top of that, today we had a joint home economics class and made rice balls.

"We'll give the riceballs we made in home economics class today to you boys." My eyebrow twitched as I heard the girls chorus in a cheerful manner. I could only imagine what nefarious plans some of these girls had in their heads in order to gain the affections of their crushes. No doubt, they're going by the adage of getting to a man through his stomach.

"Give me a break. Why should we give them our riceballs if they haven't even done anything to earn them? What a bunch of bullshit." A frown pulled at the corner of my lips as I blankly stared at the girls rushing towards certain boys.

"Couldn't agree with you more." My eyes drifted over to a girl with dark, wavy hair. She too had a disinterested expression on her face as she made no move to deliver her plate of food. "Name's Kurokawa Hana. You?"

"Sawada Nakuka, nice to meet you." I looked back at the mob of people as I attached the nicety to my sentence. I may be a bitch, but I can at least be polite to strangers. My eyes found a rather large group and recognized the two boys that Tsunayoshi seemed to have become friends, but I brought my eyes away from them once I heard the girl speak again.

'What was her name again?'

"So, you're Sawada's older sister? I haven't seen you around the first year's hall, so you must be an upperclassman." I blinked as I moved to a chair and sat in it, gesturing Hana to take the one across from me.

"Upperclassman yes, but I'm actually his little sister. I'm about a year younger than him." Her eyebrow raised at the information as she leaned an elbow on the table, her eyes flickering to the mob as she caught sight of the tips of gravity-defying hair. She gave a soft huff of disapproval before she turned back to me.

"You skipped two grades? You must be pretty smart." I shrugged at the suggestion as I gingerly picked up a riceball and took a bite. "You're not giving that to anyone?"

"Nope, if people want some, then they should make it themselves. By the way, what did you put in yours? Mine are plain."

"Chicken."

"Wanna trade?" I help up my remaining two as the girl shrugged, giving an indifferent answer before she switched two of the riceballs when I said that I didn't care what I got. So, we sat there in content silence when my eyes caught an older looking teen snuck the crowd and switched her plate of riceballs with that one girl who came to my house. I raised an eyebrow as I felt slightly impressed with her ability of not getting noticed. "Did you see that?"

"See what?" The older girl raised an eyebrow at me as she took a bit of her riceball, pulling it away from her face to inspect what type she got.

"There was an older girl, maybe a high schooler, who just switched her plate with the girl over there without her knowing it."

"With Kyoko? What girl are you talking about?" I looked around, looking for the admittedly pretty girl.

"Well, she's pretty and she has pinkish hair. Oh, there she is." I pointed to the teen as Hana leaned over to see where my appendage was pointing to.

"Where?"

"Right there."

"I still don't see her." I gave a small sigh as I hunched over and nibbled at my last riceball.

"Never mind. I'll just point her out to you later." Hana didn't seem bothered by this as she gave me a half-hearted shrug.

"Whatever. Oh, Kyoko is giving her riceballs to Sawada." My eyes roamed over to where she was looking and caught sight of my brother right as he seemed to fall over and suddenly he was rushing around the room in his underwear.

"Eat the riceballs as if I were to die!" Eyes turned his way as he started to eat everyone's riceballs, cried of dismay were heard as he seemed to finally calm down and return to normal.

'Huh, is he turning into an exhibitionist?' I raised my eyebrow at the thought and decided to ignore it as I followed Hana to her friend Kyoko.

"There's no mistaking it." Hana seemed to nod sagely as we stood in front of the stunned Kyoko. I seemed to be lost as I blinked between the two, not sure where the wavy haired girl was going with this. "You should take this as Sawada's confession, Kyoko."

"Eh? No way."

"What do you mean?" She turned to me as she crossed her arms with a smirk.

"Obviously, he's trying to say that if anyone ate her riceballs, then he'll kill them." I gave her disbelieving expression before I dead-panned, not believing everyone's wayward thoughts as it seemed, judging by the bits of conversations I've caught from other people around us, that everyone thought this way. I shook my head as I came to the conclusion that I was surrounded by middle schoolers in heat, of course they would take it as a love confession.

"I guess if you want to take it that way..."

"No, really... I didn't mean it like that!" I heard a loud voice shout behind me right before I felt someone bump me from behind, my hand instinctively tightened around the riceball as the person stumbled back.

"S-Sorry!" I stared blankly at the remnants of rice that stuck to my fingers, a few clumps of the riceball on the floor as my small hands couldn't keep them contained. I could feel my eyes darkening as I glared, turning my eyes up at the all-too-familiar person as I lowered my voice into a frigid tone, purposely enunciating the name slowly.

"Tsunayoshi."

"Hieee! I'm sorry!" My instincts lead my arm to whip out as I snatched up the collar of my brother's shirt right as he turned to run away.

"Where do you think you're going, Tsunayoshi? You should pay for wasting perfectly good food that I spent my time on. Buy me some after school."

"B-But I don't have any money."

"Then you shouldn't have destroyed my riceball." Thought technically, he didn't destroy it, but if he couldn't catch the loophole, then who am I to point it out?

"Umm, Nakuka?" I blinked at the hesitant voice as my ire was forgotten for the moment as I turned to see the one person that seemed to be appearing a lot these days. "You can... have some of mine if you'd like."

"Uh, sure... I guess, thanks." I blinked at the blonde girl before me before I slowly took one of the morsels and took a bite. I raised an eyebrow when I caught the gaze of the raspberry eyed Tanpopo. "What is it?"

"How... How is it?" Honestly, this girl was being very ambiguous. First, she's bothering every second of my school life and now she's offering me stuff and acting like a bashful school girl (though, I guess she is) about to ask her crush to the prom.

"It's pretty good. You used vegetables and chicken?" The girl nodded. "I like it."

"Hmph, it's not like I need your preference." I heard the girl mutter, but she didn't make any noise of complaint as she quickly spun around and briskly walked away.

'What's her problem?' I raised both of my eyebrows before I sharpened my metaphorical daggers and glared at my brother.

"This doesn't get you off the hook. You better buy me some or there'll be hell to pay." The boy stammered before he ran off towards the dunderhead duo, comprising of one silver haired smoker (I'm surprised it hasn't turned a nasty shade of yellow with all his smoking) and one laughing hyena. A whistle broke my concentration as Hana leaned against my shoulder.

"Tell me, Nakuka. Have you ever been a yankee?"

"If it'll stop these idiots from speaking around me, then yes." Hana let out a small bark of laughter as she finally took her weight off of me.

"You know, you're alright, not like the other monkeys in this school."

"I feel honored." I said dryly, though I suppose a compliment is a compliment. "You are tolerable as well."

"How nice. Well, we should get to class. See you later, Nakuka." I nodded and said my farewell as the two girls walked away, leaving me to head to my hallway alone.

'Huh, I guess there are intelligible people in middle school."

And so the day ended with my earlier feeling of irritation gone, feeling at ease as I had finally found people that didn't make me want to slam their faces into the wall. I dug my house keys out of my pocket and opened the door, instantly being greeted by my mom as she poked her head out of the kitchen.

"Na-chan, you're home." I nodded as she fully came out in her usual apron. "How was school?"

"Good." The brown haired woman nodded cheerfully and I was about to retreat into my room until I spotted the cow suit of a certain snotty child.

"Gyahaha! The great Lambo-sama has arrived. Bow down servant!" Suddenly, I remembered what had caused my irritation from this morning as I calmly bent my knees and looked down at the afro-ed child.

"Never. call me. your servant. ever. again." The child seized up and I didn't bother to see the results of my not-so-subtle threat as I headed upstairs and shut the door to my room, tossing my book bag on my bed in brief aggravation.

"Damn kids."

* * *

**Author's Notes**

**So, this chapter was pretty short, but I don't have much time today, so I kinda had to make it this long. I also decided to skip some of the chapters in the manga. I'm probably going to do the same thing in the future and pretty much just introduce the main characters before moving on to the exciting parts. The daily life arc never really interested me and it felt like it was pretty much just filler. So, hopefully we'll get to the Kokuyo Arc soon.**

**Reviews are welcomed and thanks to all of you new followers/favorites. If you see mistakes, don't hesitate to PM me.**

**Hopefully, a new chapter will be up soon.**

**See ya!**


	6. Supplexing Kissy Face Perverts

It was a beautiful day when school started today. I had a goodnight's sleep, ate some delicious breakfast when I woke up, and my wimpy brother decided to man up... Hah, you'd think I'd actually say that? No, this gym bullshit is pissing me off. The subject that we're concentrating on for today interests me, but the approach is less than appreciated.

**Fwwwip~**

"I swear, if he blows that whistle one more fucking time..." I grumbled under my breath as I glared daggers at the gym teacher. The fucker seems to take joy in establishing his dominance through loud noises. Just like that fucking chihuahua down the street from my house, all bark and no bite.

"Alright girls, since we're learning self defense today, you'll be paired up with the boys and they'll be your partners!" My eyebrow twitched as I saw him raise the metal whistle to his mouth again. "Find your partners!"

**Fwwwip~**

"Fucking hell..." I grumbled as I stood there, not bothering to find a partner as I settled on taking whoever was left. I watched the crowd with disinterest as the middle schoolers buzzed in anxiety about being paired up with the opposite sex (or excited in some cases). When the crowd started to thin out, I noticed that there was this one kid that everyone seem to avoid. He turned my way and I awkwardly looked away as we briefly made eye contact, the damage was already done as he came rushing my way with an excited expression on his face.

"My name is Sasagawa Ryohei! Be my partner to the extreme!" I raised an eyebrow and used my momentum to push myself off of the wall. This kid was irritatingly loud; I have sensitive ears, he should be considerate. I abandoned my irritation for the moment as I nodded and sat down and started to stretch my legs.

"Sawada Nakuka."

"Hey, are you related to Sawada? That's extreme!" I almost blanched as the guy pushed me further than I'm used to stretching, causing my inner thigh muscles to protest. I masked the pain as I switched into a new stretch, determined to not let Sasagawa tear any of my muscles in the future.

"Th-That's what the last name's there for. Tsunayoshi's my older brother." I ignored the fact that he could mean anyone with the surname of Sawada, but I assumed he meant my brother.

"Extreme! You must be strong, like Sawada, then!" I blinked in confusion as he let me up, abandoning the stretches that we were suppose to do. I faintly heard the gym teacher instruct us on how to do a particular move, but I was more focused on what Ryohei was doing.

"H-Hey!" My instincts had me in a crouch as Ryohei punched towards me. "What are you doing?"

"Oh, you dodged my punch! You must join the boxing club!"

"Hey, wait! What the fuck are you going on about?!" My eyebrow twitched as I was forced to avoid his punches.

"Oi! Sasagawa, what is the meaning of this?!" I decided to create distance between us and try to let the teacher handle it as he came over. "You're suppose to help teach self defense, not assault the-" I made a face and prepared to run, watching as the teacher went down with one merciless punch.

"Ah, cut it out! I'm not joining your club, stop chasing me!"

"Come back and fight me, Sawada!"

"Stop chasing me, you fucking idiot!" I weaved through the pairs, careful to not be caught by the white haired maniac.

"Stop this nonsense this instant!" I blinked in surprise when I heard a familiar voice speak up. A certain blonde girl stood between the two of us with her hands to her hips, her raspberry eyes narrowed in a glare. "She doesn't want to fight you, so knock it off."

"I want to test her strength! Her brother is extreme, so she must be, too!"

"Hey!" I deadpanned as Tanpopo failed to stop the third year student, Ryohei rushed past her, causing her to topple over and fall to the side.

"Ah! Sasagawa-senpai, please don't hit the underclassman!" The protests of the younger boxing club members were ignored until a sweet female voice spoke up in confusion.

"Onii-chan?"

"Kyoko? What are you doing here?" I sighed in relief once I noticed the boy had stopped chasing me. I ventured closer towards the orange haired girl, thinking that my lifeline would keep this boxing freak away.

"Ah, I was dropping off some forms. Where's the teacher?" That's when her eyes spotted the knocked out form of the adult in the middle of the gym floor. "What happened?!"

"Oh, you see, he decided to take a nap since he was feeling tired!" Half the students deadpanned at Ryohei's explanation, the other half followed when this Kyoko girl took it without question.

"I see, then I'll leave the forms here for when he wakes up." I eyebrow twitched as I watched the girl sunnily set the stack on top of the table where the teacher had left all of his belongings. She then turned to me and gave me a surprised look.

"Oh, you must be Tsuna-kun's sister! I recognize you from one of your family pictures when I came over that one time." A certain memory of a passed out girl and a destroyed kitchen flashed in my mind. "I'm Sasagawa Kyoko and that's my older brother, Ryohei!"

'Huh, she doesn't seem to be the type to cause destruction...' Never the less, I introduced myself.

"Onii-chan, you aren't causing Nakuka-chan any trouble, are you?"

"Of course not, Kyoko! We're having a good time boxing!" I deadpanned at the kid. We weren't even boxing, but I guess I'll let that slide for now. It wasn't worth the effort to correct him. "She's a fast one, Kyoko! I am extremely going to have another member for my boxing club!"

"My, onii-chan, you look so happy!" I deadpanned at the sunny siblings, wondering what I have done in life to deserve this.

'Ah, wait, I guess it's because of my bitchiness.'

"That's great and all, but I'll pass." The bell rang and I took one look at the (still) passed out teacher and left, not bothering to say goodbye to either of the siblings.

"Wait, you need to join the club!" I instantly hid inside a classroom as I heard a set of thundering footsteps run past the room.

"What the fuck is with everyone associated with Tsunayoshi? Maybe he's blackmailing these people to be friends with him and they're trying to take it out on me... Nah." I instantly threw out the thought as I stood up and headed back towards the locker, ready to change out of my gym clothes as I continued to hear faint yells of "extreme" and such.

* * *

_A few days later_

"Hey, mom? Can I stay home from school today? I'm really tired." The short haired woman blinked before she gave me a look.

"You shouldn't skip so much school, Na-chan."

"I won't." I was pleased when she sighed in resignation and picked up the phone, telling me to go back upstairs and go to sleep. I gladly followed her instructions and flopped back into my pink anime bed, the same one that I woke up in all those years ago.

I don't know for how long I was asleep, but I vaguely remembered my mom coming in and telling me that she was going to go shopping before I fell back to sleep again.

**BAM**

I blinked and grudgingly got out of bed as I frowned.

'I swear, that better not be that cow brat. He should just go back to wherever he came from.' I was wrong as I saw a head of carmine pink instead of an afro.

"Bianchi? What's going on?" I stared at our resident of two weeks before I looked downstairs and saw a man collapsed on the last step with a whole cake smashed into his face, looking like he fell down the whole staircase. I learned a while ago that Bianchi's cooking was not... good, whoever ate it would get sick to their stomachs, so I avoided tasting anything she had a hand in. She was an okay person, though, kept saying how she loved Reborn, though. It was kind of creepy and annoying. Why would she let her love make her act so stupid? I don't get it. Love is pretty pointless, it fades over time anyway._  
_

"It's been a long time since I killed someone for the good of the world." She stared down at the man with her hands on her hips, a clear look of disdain set on her pretty face as she walked down a few steps.

"Bianchi! You! Don't kill people in my house!" I heard a familiar voice sputter before another voice joined in, a deeper one that told me it was an adult male.

"Such a tomboy as usual." I emerged from the top of the stairs as my brother squawked about the man being alive, watching as he peeled back the food caked cloth from his face. It tossed it to the side without a second thought as he looked up at Bianchi with a sketchy smile. In the blink of an eye, the man leaped up the stairs and planted a kiss on the older teen's cheek.

"Now I like you even more!" Sufficient enough to say, he ended back down the stairs.

"Nice kick." I commented, stepping past her and stopping next to the man who had another meal smashed in his face.

"Wha- Who is that trespasser?"

'Isn't that the question of the century.' I toed the man's body, gauging to see how alive he was on a scale of 1 to 10. 'Definitely a 5.'

"He's the doctor I was talking about." The baby tutor- I forgot he was still living here- ignored Tsunayoshi's disbelief. "I called him over from Italy. Dr. Shamal." I watched in slight amusement as he bounced back to live, heading towards Bianchi with what seemed like a kissy face.

"Non need to be embarrassed, Bianchi! How about a kiss?"

"Go away!" I briefly wondered how many plates of food she had with her and where she got them, but I was more distracted with the entertainment that I was receiving. I caught a few words about how he likes women and that he's a kissing freak, but I ignored that in favor of hearing Tsunayoshi talk about some incurable disease.

"You're sick?"

"A-Ah, no! I'm fine, really!" I raised an eyebrow as I caught something marring his skin. I grabbed his wrist and stretched his arm out, not letting him pull it back in as I read the skull on his forearm.

"You peed your bed until you were ten?" I gave him a deadpanned look as he started to sweat and blush.

"I-It's not-" I caught another speech bubble from another skull on the other side of his arm.

_"I'm still scared of Nakuka when she gets angry. I secretly go in my room and play nursery rhymes when she yells at me."_

My lips twitched in amusement as I felt the urge to laugh bubble up for once, it was easily held back, though the look of mortification on his face was amazing.

"Are you some kind of masochist, Tsunayoshi? That's some _Scarlet Letter_ shit right there." No doubt, he probably didn't get the reference, but my message seemed to have gotten through to him as he looked like someone who wanted to die right there and then. One look at the baby and I could tell that he was fairly amused as well.

"Shamal," he interrupted the man harassing the other female. "This is Tsuna, the one with the skull disease."

'Skull disease? There's no way that's real...'

"Hm? Oh yeah, that was why I was called over for by you." He smoothed his hair back.

'Hang on a second. He reminds me of someone. Ah, he has the same hairstyle as the lapdog.'

"Sorry about that, I seem to be oblivious of my surroundings at times." I blinked in surprise when the man put his palms to Tsunayoshi's chest before he held that up like he was about to do jazz hands.

"Excuse me... Sorry, but I don't examine guys."

"Oh yeah, I forgot."

"Hey!" Bianchi seems to be just as amused as I was, putting a hand to her face in order to hide her laughter.

"On the other hand, who's this cutie?" I deadpanned as the grown man turned to me.

"None of your business." I silently hoped my attitude would turn the man away, but I shouldn't have expected much judging by how persistent he was with Bianchi.

"Oh, a cold one. That's how I like my women." I didn't bother hiding my distaste as I crossed my arms.

"I'm, like, half your age. Don't make me report you as a pedophile." I sent him a glare, my eyes widening when I felt a pair of fleshy and- _shudders_\- wet lips on my cheek. "Ugh!" I instantly grabbed onto his shoulders and kneed him where the sun doesn't shine, the previous kiss on the cheek ruining the satisfaction I felt from watching him go down. "Touch me again and you die."

This Shamal douche seemed to set his target on another victim as Kyoko walked in through the door, not taking the resilient man seriously as he tried to hit on her.

"Oh, Tsuna is entering dying will mode without the bullet." Tsunayoshi suddenly had a crazy look in his eyes as his shirt ripped off his body and he spouted something about protecting Kyoko. The girl only laughed and commented on the strange markings, causing the scrawny boy to pathetically huddle into fetal position, tears streaming down his face. His wails of self pity was annoying, so I was glad when this Shamal pervert spoke up.

"Fine fine, I'll cure you. There's no time left. Hurry and wear your shirt." The man seemed to pity him enough as he pushed his hair back. I listened with interest as the man stated that he had 666 diseases and that he called out the effects with an opposing illness. I was skeptical that diseases could be used that way, especially with mosquitos, but I let it slide as I headed to my room, determined to get that needed sleep.

"I'm so done with this shit. All these weird people coming in and acting like they own the place. Just wait, one day I'll supplex their asses."

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

**So, school is still a pain in the butt. It's consuming so much of my time. But I digress, I hope you all thought this short chapter was entertaining enough for you guys.**

**If you guys don't know, supplex is a wresting move where the person grabs their opponent from behind and bend backwards so that the opponent's head practically smashes into the floor.**

**Also, thanks to all you people who favorite and followed recently. I'm only one person off from 100 followers! *Parties*_  
_**

**Reviews are appreciated. Again, please send me a PM if you see mistakes.**

**See you guys later~**


	7. Questions Left Unsaid

The sound of pages being flipped filled my room, another boring day lead me to skim through a book that I have already read. It was the weekend, so I didn't really have anything to do and I really don't have anyone to hang out with, so I was content enough to hang out at home. Though, that in itself is starting to become a less desirable option, seeing as our house keeps getting more and more rowdy guests.

"Tch." 'They pretty much live here at this point.' I narrowed my eyes at the words on the page before flipping it once more. Not only do we have one booger monster running around the house, but now we have another tiny human as well. Though, this kid seems more well mannered than the cow-printed fucktard.

I put down my book when I heard my door open, my mother poking her head into my room.

"Na-cahn. I'm going to a piano recital with some friends. Would you look after the kids for me? I already asked Tsu-kun as well."

"Uh-huh." My monotonous hum satisfied her as she smiled and promised to bring back cake, seemingly glad to have a day to herself for once. Of course, I had no plans to interact with the snot monsters or with Tsunayoshi. He could deal with them himself, bastard needed to help around the house like the rest of us. And so I picked up my book again, planning on rereading my favorite parts.

"Waaahh!" My eyebrow twitched as I heard crying and some muffled shouting. I cursed whoever it was that designed our house with such thin walls as I heaved myself off my bed, tossing the book onto my covers and striding towards the door with annoyance.

"What the fuck are you doing?" I asked the question as I opened the door with unnecessary force, my hand gripping the door knob with enough force to turn my knuckles white. I blinked in surprise when I felt something grab onto my leg, making me feel wary as I spotted the egg-head kid. "Um, what?" My eyebrow raised as I felt uncomfortable with I-pin hugging my leg.

"Ah! The pinzu time bomb!" I felt lost as Tsunayoshi suddenly grabbed the kid off of my leg and threw it out the window as per lap dog 's (when did he get here?) suggestion.

"Tsuna-san! What are you doing to I-pin-chan?!"

"Now's not the time for that! When the pinzus on his head become one, he'll explode!" I raised an eyebrow and watched as some pure magic happened. The kid was hanging just outside the window by her hair as the symbols on her forehead changed.

"Ah, there's only three pinzus left!" And soon enough, it came down to one. Everything happened all at once as Reborn pulled out a gun just as something started to explode, replacing the blast with a cloud of pink smoke.

"You shot I-pin with the ten year bazooka!"

"Yes, the explosion has carried over to the future."

"Then that's ten years later I-pin!" I honed in to what they were all staring at, the smoke started to clear as a figure was seen standing in it.

"Why am I on top of the roof in the middle of deliver?" A chinese girl stood with confusion on her face, holding a take-out delivery container in her hands as she looked around in confusion.

"I-Pin's a girl!" There were a choruses of disbelief as Tsunayoshi shouted in surprise.

"Do you know her?" My gaze shifted over to a brown haired girl that I've never seen before. I decided not to question who she was, seeing as Tsunayoshi seemed to have a habit of bringing strange people into the house.

"Ah, Mr. Kawahira is not going to be happy if I'm late again." The twin braided girl glanced at her wrist watch before her eyes moved onto my brother. "Hello!" She smiled as if she knew him, making me wonder just what was going on here. They exchanged pleasantries as there were frequent comments about how the girl was normal before all hell started to break loose once Lambo came into the picture. Then again, when does it not become chaotic?

"Everybody run!" I blinked in surprise when the girl started to develop symbols on her forehead as well, just like the kid. I took the hint and left the room, honestly done with their antics as I shut the door to my room before hearing a rather loud noise that sounded akin to an explosion.

"I feel like I should ask, but something tells me that it'll be more trouble than it's worth." I sighed, feeling a slight rumble in my stomach. "Ah, I should probably go down and eat something." I blinked lethargically before I flopped back down onto my bed. "Whatever."

* * *

It didn't faze me much when I heard that students were being attacked by some unknown people. There were whispers from my classmate that it was from a rival school, but the whole situation struck me as odd. Though, it didn't necessarily pertain to me, so I didn't think much over it. I simply sat in class, not bothered by the large amount of absentees.

"Geez, this place looks like a ghost town." I glanced at the blonde haired girl standing next to me. By how close she was standing next to me, it seemed like she wanted to start a conversation, but I wasn't in the mood to be bothered.

"Mhm." I slid down my chair, crossing my arms as I prepared to go to take a nap.

"I heard Hibari-san even went out to investigate the problem." I raised an eyebrow and looked at the girl.

"Hibari-san?" She sent me a surprised look as she fully turned towards me.

"You don't know who he is?"

"I wouldn't be asking if I did."

"Right. I forgot that you were anti-social." She sighed a bit. I wasn't bothered by the half-hearted insult, I guess it was true to some extent. "Well, he's the head of the disciplinary committee. He's a pretty violent guy who really hates crowds."

"He has a phobia?"

"Ah, I wouldn't say that. He just really hates crowds." She made a face at my question, almost as if she remembered something unpleasant. "He tends to get what he wants by beating people up, it's best not to cross him." She shifted her eyes away to look at the window before she looked back at me. "Though, it's been a few days. It's kind of weird how he isn't back by now."

"Hm, just let it play out." I closed my eyes. "I'm sure it'll be fine. There's only so many people they can beat up before the police catch them. DNA evidence and all that."

"I guess..." I let the Tanpopo's unsure voice be the last thing I heard as I drifted to sleep, glad that the beatings have at least given me free class time as the teacher called off our lessons.

~Transition_\\('-')/_ Transition~

In the end, Tanpopo woke me up, saying how it turned out that we only had a half day at school today. As I slung my book bag over my shoulder, I was interrupted.

"Are you walking alone?"

"Yeah, what of it?" I raised an eyebrow at the person who seems to be popping up constantly in my school life.

"It's just... school's going to be shut down for a while because of this..." She shifted her eyes away. "It's just dangerous. And, uh, someone weak, like you, will easily be beaten up." Her voice gained its usual strength by the time she ended her sentence, though her face strangely didn't match the slightly malicious jab.

"I'll just beat up whoever bothers me." I brushed her off as I nonverbally ended the conversation, choosing to head home and enjoy the unexpected vacation from school.

"Is that a Nanimori student?" I continued to walk as a pair of women talked to each other. I glanced behind me and saw that they stopped to stare at me. They weren't very quiet as I could hear everything they were saying.

"How can she be walking alone like that? Doesn't she know how dangerous it is?"

"We should also get going, we don't want to be caught up in anything." The other woman agreed and I let out a scoff once I was far enough away.

"Tch, what a bunch of idiots." I frowned at their behavior as I finally saw my house. What caught my attention was the small group conglomerated outside of the gates, though. "Where are you going?"

"Huh, Nakuka!" Tsunayoshi stumbled as he rubbed the back of his head. "Uh, no where, really."

"Doesn't answer my question." I sent him a blank stare that said that I wasn't believing his innocent behavior.

"Ah, well, I-" He could tell that his floundering didn't help his case, but his relief was evident as I sighed.

"Does mom know you're heading out?" He nodded. "Okay, then. Just come home before dark, mom will be worried if you don't." The scrawny boy agreed to my terms as his small group of friends headed out to who knows where. I didn't let that bother me as I walked into the house, temporarily setting my book bag in the hallway as I walked into the kitchen.

"Oh, you're home!" My mother smiled at me as she started to fold another article of laundry. "You just missed Tsu-kun."

"I know, I passed him outside." I absentmindedly picked up a towel and folded, setting it on the pile of other folded clothes.

"Oh! Then can you run outside really quick and tell Tsu-kun, Bianchi, and Reborn-kun that dinner will be at 18:30? And Fuuta-kun, too, though Reborn-kun told me that he'll be at a friends house for a while, so you might not be able to." I sighed in exasperation before nodding and jogging out of the house, half hoping that the group would still be within the vicinity.

'Shit, they're not here.' A frown settled onto my face as I scanned the streets, trying to catch a glimpse of a head of gravity defying hair. I continued to jog to the end of the street, checking the street corners as I did so. I was set on thinking that they were too far away to catch up with now as I stopped and sighed.

'This would be easier if we just had cellphones." I deadpanned and glanced at the random teen on the street as he clacked away on his phone, most likely texting some girl he hooked up with. He clicked off the device and locked eyes with me. I was going to look away, but he suddenly spoke.

"Looking for someone?" I set him a slightly wary look as I nodded, choosing not to speak to the stranger. "Well, they went that way." The brown haired teen pointed to my left as he sent me a pleasant smile. The smile didn't exactly feel genuine, but most of mine generally weren't, so who am I to judge?

"Thanks." I nodded to the boy and jogged in the direction he had pointed to. It was only about three minutes later when I stopped in the middle of the sidewalk, my ire setting in for the first time this week.

"What the hell. They're not here." I sighed in agitation. "You know what? Fuck this. They can find out when dinner is themselves." And so I spun around, walking towards home as I did so. The sun was rather pleasant on my back and I let the quiet day calm my nerves down, listening to the noises of the cool autumn day as I did so. I tuned back into my surroundings and noticed how close my house was.

"Huh, that was pretty fast." There was something off, but I brushed it off once I couldn't put a finger on it. And so I ignored the off-putting feeling and went up the steps that lead to the front door; at least, that's what I would have done if my foot hadn't phased right through the concrete step.

"What the fu-" My eyes widened as everything seemed to distort and suddenly snapped into a different image once I blinked. I was suddenly in a chipped, barren room with concrete walls. The place seemed to have deteriorate quite a bit from its original state as I could still see faint patches of sunshine yellow paint in certain corners of the room. I looked around in confusion and narrowed eyes, noting how my back was to a door. I reached for it and tried the knob, but it didn't budge. Another sigh escaped my lips as I backed away from the prison-like door and sat on the ground, annoyed with the fact that I was still in my school uniform.

"Well, what now?" I mumbled into the air before I closed my eyes, cursing whatever entity plagued my second life with such a weird experience. "Ah well, I guess it beats studying."

~Transition_\\('-')/_Transition~

Tsuna nervously stared at the screen with both Kyoko and Haru on it. He gulped his nerves down as he trembled, watching as one of the bloody twins started to tip a bottle of sulfuric acid over his crush's head. He finally screamed out at them to stop and said that he will stab himself with the knife that Birds had. He couldn't let them get hurt just because they are connected with his group, they didn't deserve it. They weren't a part of the mafia, he felt that he was responsible for their situation and so he had to fix it himself.

"I'll do it for you." He set a determined, but nervous expression on his face as he denied Bianchi's offer.

"It's all right, I'll do it myself." And so he took the knife and was ready to plunge it into himself when there was a commotion on the screen. His heart leapt with hope and joy as he saw Dr. Shamal protect Kyoko (and Hana, but he didn't really notice her there) while Haru was protected by TYL I-Pin and Lambo.

He felt relief and optimism as he looked towards his tutor whom had a familiar smirk on his face.

"Family protect each other." And then he was launched towards the perverted old man, clumsily punching him through his surprise. Gokudera also made sure to get a few kicks in, effectively knocking the old man out as his birds flew off to who-knows-where. He could tell his friends were relieved as much as he was as he turned to face them. It was then that a certain fact bothered him.

"Hey, Reborn?" The baby hitman turned to him with his unreadable face. "You don't think that Birds sent anyone else to my home, right? Mom and Nakuka are there alone."

"Don't worry. I sent one of my surveillance insects to keep watch over the house and to notify me if anything happens." Tsuna shrieked as a large amount of butterflies crawled over the baby's face, his momentary relief: gone. Sure, butterflies were pretty from far away, but they were pretty scary looking up close. He still refuses to touch one after that incident in the fifth grade.

Though, his butterfly trauma was easily forgotten once he heard a voice. The same voice that had been missing for a while now.

"Fuuta..."

~Transition_\\('-')/_Transition~

_**Thunk**_

_**Thunk**_

_**Thunk**_

**_Clank_**

"Aw man, how long have I been in here." I whined half-heartedly as I flung bits of concrete against the wall. It felt rather satisfying when some of the pieces crumbled by the force of my throws. "I guess I at least have sunlight." I huffed as I took up another concrete pebble and flung it through the bars on the door's window, aiming for it to fly through the gabs from where I sat. I kept missing, narrowly sending the pieces through before they turned midair and turned in a way so that they bounced harmlessly off the bars.

"Herbivore, stop that incessant noise this instant." My ears perked up at the voice as I walked up to the door, trying to get a better look into the hallway as I stood on the tips of my toes.

"Someone else is here? Who are you?"

"Hn." The voice sounded tired; I tried to get a better of the person as I gripped the bars and tried to hold myself up long enough to catch a view through the other door's window, the same door that the voice came from. I quickly gave up when the height of the window started to annoy me and when I realized I couldn't spot the voice's host. "I'm Hibari Kyoya, head of the disciplinary committee."

"Oh, so you're the guy that Tanpopo was talking about." I settled myself back into my original position, trying to scrounge up any level of comfort I could at this point. "She did mention how you've been gone for a while."

"Are you a student of Nanimori Middle?" I blinked at the seemingly random question, but obliged the teen.

"Yeah, I am."

"I see." There was a pause and I waited for the boy to speak again, but I soon came to the conclusion that he wasn't going to continue speaking, probably more content with the silence of his jail cell than with our short conversation. And so we sat there in complete silence, neither feeling the need to talk to each other.

'This is awkward.' I sighed as I stared at the dust motes floating through the rays of sunlight. 'It kinda feels like he's angry over there.'

"Uh, so... how did you get locked up here?" My mouth twitched when my instincts told me I brought up something I shouldn't have brought up. "I was walking home and all of a sudden, I was here..." There was silence as I awkwardly tossed a rock into the air. The conversation felt extremely one-sided; normally, I'd be fine with that, but I just wanted to figure out what's going and get this shit over with. "Hey, you there?"

"Be quiet, herbivore." The boy's fairly deep voice growled. Though, I only felt offended and angry at his tone.

"You listen here-"

"Oya Oya, that wasn't very nice little skylark." I was cut off in my yell when my door opened, revealing a slightly older teen with blue hair in a spiky ponytail.

"Who are you?" I narrowed my eyes, looking up at the figure through the dim light.

"Hm? Isn't it more polite to introduce yourself first?" His calm smiled vaguely pissed me off as I glared at him, not willing to share my name with the bastard. "Oya, it seems the Vongola's sister is quite obstinate. Kufu~ I'm Rokudo Mukuro, nice to meet you, Sawada Nakuka."

"Herbivore, fight me." I heard Hibari speak up again.

"You won't be able to beat me with how weak you are now. I already beat you anyway, Mr. skylark." I huffed at his arrogant tone; not caring if this guy was dangerous or not, I spoke up.

"Were you the one who brought me here?"

"You sure a smart one."

"Why?" He fully turned towards me and stepped closer, making a small halo of light around his head as he blocked the only light source in the room.

"Oya, I have been meeting quite a lot of impatient and bad tempered people."

"Cut the crap and just answer the question." He laughed a little in his unusual way before he continued.

"I need control over your brother in order to obtain my goal."

"Tsunayoshi?" I raised an eyebrow. "Why him?"

"As I thought, you have no idea about what's going on in your own house. Kufufu~ How sad." I narrowed my eyes, silently demanding him to explain himself. "Haven't you noticed how secretive Vongola and his friends have been around you, and how Reborn's innocent facade comes down when you aren't around?"

"Hn." I agreed with what he said. I did notice how strange everything has been, I just never brought it up as I felt it wasn't any of my business. I stayed silent for a few seconds, contemplating my next question before I spoke up. "So, what's your goal? I watched as his smile become wider, almost tense, as his countenance seem to darken.

"Oya? It seems the Vongola has arrived. Sorry, little flower, but you will have to go to sleep now." I didn't need my instincts to tell me that he was going to do something, but I was cut off guard as the room began to swirl and finally turn to black in a matter of seconds. As my senses shut down, the last thing I heard was the irritatingly ominous laugh of Rokudo.

~Transition_\\('-')/_Transition~

Tsuna was put on edge once he entered Kokuyo Land's decrepit theater. The fond memories he had here was forgotten as he worried about the badly beaten Yamamoto and Gokudera he had to leave behind.

"Tsuna, focus." He shook the thoughts away at the squeak of Reborn's voice, knowing there was a good reason for it.

"Fuuta, you're okay!" He felt relieved when he spotted the child, leaning against the wall with blank look on his face. Something inside him told him something was wrong, but his elation for finding the child overpowered his intuition as he moved closer with Bianchi.

"Fuuta? What's wro-" He tensed as they all stared in shock at the sandy blond child as he stuck a blade into Bianchi's stomach.

"Ugh-" Tsuna let out a distraught cry as Bianchi spat out blood, her eye squeezed shut in silent pain. And that's when he realization hit him, making his stomach turn in dread. Rokudo Mukuro let out an amused laugh as he seemed to catch on to his distress.

"Tsuna, do something. If you don't, then you will die."

"How? Fuuta's my opponent!" And he refused to hurt the child that was so well behaved and helpful back home. No, he wouldn't hurt a child. That's when he took one look at Mukuro and decided that he was his best bet as he ran towards him, shrieking at the possessed Fuuta to not follow him. "I have no choice!" He took out the length of cord he picked up off the crowd, trying to use it as a whip only for it to smack him in the eyes. He let out a cry as he fell down, causing Mukuro to laugh.

"You are full of surprises, Vongola. You should be careful, there are more dangerous things behind you." And Tsuna turned his head, surprised when he found that the chord tangled Fuuta up as well. The child struggled and his hand soon found the trident shaped knife, raising it above him to stab Tsuna. He felt initial panic, until he remembered Lanchia and the guilt he laid to him about the deeds he had done when he was possessed. He felt pity as he stared up at the child.

"It's not your fault." Fuuta's hand stilled before he started to grip his head, encouraging to Tsuna to convince the boy that he's not at fault. "We're on your side, Fuuta. You don't have to worry about anything, just come home with us." Fuuta let out a small wail as tears dripped from his eyes, his eyes seemingly cleared up as he whimpered.

"Tsuna-nii..." Then he collapsed, blood dripping from his nose in a light stream.

"Fuuta?! Oi!"

"It looks like you went too far. He's suffering from a clash of wills." He lamented mockingly. He maintained his smile as he talked about the suffering of the child under his possession, saying how he hadn't slept in ten days and how he tried to protect Tsuna. "He even closed off his heart and lost his ranking abilities." Mukuro felt slightly victorious as the Vongola looked panicked, thought it was a empty feeling as he stared at the collapsed child. Yet another child had suffered under the mafia, only more reason to destroy it and the world. He closed his eyes briefly as another child took his place, one with blue hair spiked into a pineapple fashion.

He shook himself of his own memories as he smiled again. He didn't hold anything back as he explained his plans. "Our plan was a huge success. The Vongola is standing in front of me, after all." And even then, his planning was to a tee as the Vongola reacted just how he predicted he would.

"Rokudo Mukuro, what are people to you?!" He closed his eyes and opened them with sinister smile, his memories of the mafia flashing behind his eyes.

"Toys, I suppose."

~Transition_\\('-')/_Transition~

I looked around, confusion flooded my system as I stared at the ceiling. At least, it would have been a ceiling if I wasn't floating in a large body of water.

"Enjoying yourself?" I eyes widened in surprise as I shifted myself and saw Mukuro, floating along side me. "Interesting mind scape you have here." He looked around at the rather barren landscape, noting the dim sunlight that shined from above with circular rings spread out on the surface as rain fell. I too stared at the rain through the surface of the water, glancing at the bottom-less darkness underneath us. I wearily brought my feet closer to me, not wanting to be close to the darkness in anticipation of what might be there. I decided to ignore it as I brought my attention to the blue haired male, noting his heterochromatic eyes for the first time.

"Where are we?"

"As I said: in your mind. Your's is quite melancholy." I raised an eyebrow, strangely feeling at ease as my hair floated around me.

"Is it? I think it's peaceful." I closed my eyes for a few seconds, letting the muffled sound of rain and thunder comfort me before I opened them again. "You never did tell me what your goal is."

"Hm, you're still interested in that?"

"It was the reason why you kidnapped me, but I could really care less." There was a brief silence as Rokudo seemed to contemplate something.

"My plan is to destroy everything and make it new. I'll clean the world with darkness."

"Alright."

"You're not opposed to my plan?" I brushed my hair back as the water resisted my movements, making my hair float back slowly.

"I could really care less what happens in the world. It could burn for all I care."

"Even if you're family was to be destroyed in order for me to obtain my goals?" I hesitated, letting myself float as I stayed silent.

"I don't have many attachments to this world. What's the use of fighting against something I have no control over?" I reached up and plucked a single red flower, drowning it in water as I observed it.

'Huh, a spider lilly.' I opened my hand as it suddenly dissolved in a red wisp, leaving a trail of murky red before it diffused into the blue waters around us.

"Kufufu~ How interesting." I turned my eyes to the boy, locking my eyes with him as something unreadable flashed in his eyes. His smile suddenly turned into a frown as he winced; Rokudo seem to ignore my questioning gaze as wiped his expressions clean once more. "It seems that I have to bring my full attention to the Vongola, he seems to have gotten serious. I'll leave you one last warning since we seem to be akin in some aspects, don't trust the Vongola."

The world seem to darken and I was suddenly awake, the water world was gone and the dusty cell took its place. I sat up, still feeling like I was swimming in water as I silently looked around. The room seemed to have gotten more chaotic as the walls appeared more chipped and debris littered the floor. The door still stood, but I spotted a hole in the wall. So, naturally, I got on my hands and knees and shimmied through the small opening.

I sighed and got up, swiping my hands against myself to clear any dirt that I may have gained on my apparel. I looked around and headed up the stairs, careful to not trip over any potholes in the concrete stairs. Voices met my ears as I came to the final steps.

~Transition_\\('-')/_Transition~

Tsuna and Mukuro stopped their fighting when Leon started to float. The green chameleon emitted a light and something plopped into Tsuna's hands. Though, another object seemed to fall, unknown to everyone else in the room.

"Woolen gloves?!" Tsuna shrieked, he had no idea what to do with these! Nonetheless, he slipped them on as a possessed Ken attacked him, stabbing at him with the detached trident head. Instead of the blade going through the gloves, much to everyone's surprise, it was reflected. In confusion, Tsuna removed the object that saved his hand from some major pain.

"A bullet?"

"So that's it, Tsuna, pass it here!" He wasted no time to pass the bullet onto his mentor, knowing that the baby had something planned.

"I won't let you!" Bianchi got in the way, Mukuro's eyes flashing in surprise as the bullet he grabbed with Bianchi's hand turned into Leon.

"I just need to shoot you with this special bullet, though I've never seen this type of bullet before."

"W-Wait, you don't know what it does?!" He didn't have much time to question it as the possessed Gokudera sent out a barrage of explosives just as Reborn's gun shot the bullet into Tsuna.

Once the smoked cleared, Mukuro was satisfied with the sight of Tsuna sprawled out on the floor. He wanted to savor this moment as the Vongola's future boss seemed to be defeated. It was true, though, Tsuna had accepted defeat in that very moment, but he wasn't counting on the images of people he knew flitting into his mind.

"Eh?" He moaned as he heard his mother complain that he didn't clean his room along with Kurokawa finding his japanese test. 'Rebukes?' He seemed to blanche as he heard Haru say there was no spirit in going into the enemy's base head on, but a sniffle told him that she was really worried about him.

_"I'm going to be a mafia wife! *sniff* Please, don't give up, Tsuna-san!" _'Haru'

_"Calm down, Kyoko." 'Nii-san?'_

_"But Doctor Shamal said that Tsuna and the others had set off..." _'Even Kyoko-chan?'

_"Don't worry. I've fought with him before. I know he's strong. If he comes home defeated, then I won't forgive him."_

_"That's true. Tsuna-san, come back safe and sound."_

_"Don't repeat the same mistakes I did, kid!" _Tsuna grit his teeth as he heard Lanchia's voice. _"With your own hand, protect your friends! Protect your family!"_

Emotions overcame the boy and for a second, he swore he heard another voice. "_You have some explaining to do..."_

He forgot about the voice as he grabbed onto the trident tip with his gloved hands, ignoring it as his gloves transformed.

"Mukuro, if I don't defeat you, even if I'm dying, I won't give up!" And that was all it took to seal Mukuro's fate.

~Transition_\\('-')/_Transition~

When I finally opened the door, I was greeted by the sight of Tsunayoshi's friends being loaded up onto hospital gurneys. They were attended by what looked like hospital staff, though I ignored that as I located Tsunayoshi, a battered and bloody one at that.

"Tsunayoshi..."

"Agh! Nakuka, why are you here?!" I blinked, the gravity of the situation still hasn't really settled with me. I shook my head as I never did learn how I got here, I had an idea of why, though.

"I was brought here by someone." My eyes trailed around as I spotted Fuuta. Huh, haven't seen him in a while.

"Are you okay?" I was vaguely surprised with his concern, I stared at his face for a second as his eyebrows furrowed. "Nakuka... do you have something to tell me?"

I blinked. "No... I don't." I didn't react when he suddenly seized up in pain, falling to the ground as Reborn explained why he was in pain. My mind was somewhere else, though, as I stared at my second life's brother. My body automatically followed the boy as he was also wheeled off on a gurney. I stopped for a second, spotting something obstructing my path and knelt down to inspect it.

The twitching face of a dwarf hamster looked up at me, it's white fur oddly marred by a stripe of bright orange that ran down the middle of its back. Its beady black eyes stared up at me as if to say that it did not fear me. My hand fell to the ground, instantly, the creature scurried onto my open palm. I looked down at it as the hamster sat on its hind legs, we stared into each other's eyes before I broke it off and climbed into the medical van that Tsunayoshi was crammed in to.

My eyes were still trained on the hamster once the vehicle started to move, my finger ran down the soft orange on its fur.

'Tsunayoshi... Just what are you hiding?'

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

**Hey, readers! I hope you all liked the chapter and weren't too disappointed that I skipped over Dino and Fuuta's introduction. I just wanted to skip over to the exciting parts, ya know? So... forgive me?**

**Any who~ Reviews are always awesome. So, make sure to leave some for me! Even saying you liked the chapter makes me happy and makes me write more for the story! Unfortunately, I'm an impatient person and I could make this fanfic a lot better if I just put more time in making it longer and don't skip over parts. But whatevs...**

**Thanks to everyone who reads this story and see you guys next time.**


	8. I was wrong

**Author's notes:**

**Hello everyone! I finally have a bit of time to write another chapter! I decided to do what the other fanfics are doing and put a little bit of reviewer stuff here. Ya know? Like when I reach a mile marker in my story; yeah, I'm not describing it very well. Anyway, here we go.**

**Congratulations to RoYaLAnemone11 for being my 50th follower!**

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**Congratulations to phoebus1991 for being my 50th favorite(r)!**

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**It means a lot to me that you guys actually followed this rag-tag story.**

**And Thanks to Teafully for being the person that gave me motivation to keep on going with this story! Now, on with the show!**

* * *

The days seem to blend into weeks and the weeks seem to blend into months. Everything seemed to swirl around me at this point, I merely go about my day in a habitual haze. Ever since I met that Rokudo kid, a few things have been on my mind. Suddenly, everything seemed to have an ulterior motive. I found myself watching Tsunayoshi these days, noticing the little slip ups in his act when I walk in unannounced, how everyone seemed to go silent or stiff when my mother or I appear in the room. It... it upsets me, I don't like things being hidden from me.

Throughout the past month or two, I have been contemplating, debating on whether or not I should ask Tsunayoshi what Vongola was exactly. I noticed how he stuttered when I asked why everyone was so beat up that day in the Kokuyo Land, but I dropped it once I saw his reaction. In the end, I settled to just watch him more closely. I'm not as naive to think that nothing is going on, but the answers will be revealed one way or another.

"Hamu~" My eyes shifted to my side as I was broken out of my thoughts, spotting the white and orange hamster that I unceremoniously adopted.

"What is it? Do you want to eat?" The tiny hamster did a little wiggle, confirming my thoughts. It ran onto my cupped hand, excited for whatever meal that mom had made for us today.

"Huh, I guess you have a better sense of smell than I do." I noted as the scent of food wafted to me. I steadily made my way downstairs, careful not to drop the hamster as I finally came to the kitchen. My eyebrow raised when I saw the amount of food on the kitchen table. There wasn't an inch of wood showing on the surface!

"Uh, mom? Mom!" The woman stiffened in surprise before she turned to me with a happy smile.

"Oh, Na-chan! You finally came downstairs!" I caught the woman's hand and gently pried the knife from it, fearing she'd accidentally cut someone with the way she was waving it around.

"What's with all the food?" I snatched a string of noodle and dropped it into my mouth, picking another one up to let the hamster nibble on it.

"Hm? Oh, that's because Papa is going home after two years." I blinked, almost forgetting that I still had a father.

"Really? When is he coming back?" I then took in the massive amount of food and corrected myself. "Is he coming today?"

She nodded excitedly before she took up the knife again. "Yes, he'll be here soon! Oh, would you and Hamu like something?"

"We'll just eat whatever you already made." I said as I rummaged through the cupboard, taking out the small plate that we used for the hamster that my mother dubbed Hamu. And so I loaded up the foods that Hamu seemed to want, setting the small plate next to mine as I also dug in. I thought that hamsters weren't suppose to eat foods like spicy noodles, but Hamu seemed to a special hamster as he devoured everything.

"Hamu Hamu~" His squeaks caught my attention as I noticed him dragging a piece of ham across the table. I raised an eyebrow and lifted the piece to his plate, watching him run to it in expectation. I let out an amused huff as the little rodent started to stuff its cheeks full of its favorite food. It didn't take that long for me to get used to the creature's presence and mom was never one to turn away anything in need, so Hamu easily became a part of the growing Sawada family.

"Mom, is it dinnertime yet?" Hamu's ears perked up as he stood on his hind legs, holding a piece of ham in his tiny paws. My dark eyes swiveled from the hamster to the kitchen's doorway, watching as Tsunayoshi, Bianchi, and Futa came into the doorway. He noted the elaborate dishes on the kitchen's table before he shouted in disbelief. "She's still cooking more!"

I acknowledged Reborn as he took a seat at the end of the table, biting into a piece of tempura shrimp. Tsunayoshi soon took to trying to get our mother's attention with the same result as my attempt. Futa and Bianchi looked on in curiosity, wondering what got the woman into her cooking frenzy.

"What's going on, Tsuna?"

"Did you get a 100 on your test, Tsuna-nii?"

"No, it was a normal no-good day today."

"She's just happy that dad's coming home." I answered for the woman as I dipped a dumpling into soy sauce, maneuvering the piece into my mouth with my chopsticks.

"Wah! Dad's coming home?!"

"That's what I said, didn't I?" This seemed to catch our mother's attention as she turned around.

"That's right! Papa's coming home for the first time in two years." She seemed to shine as she said this, I merely raised and eyebrow before I brought my attention back to my chopsticks, catching Hamu tug on the piece of ham right before it slipped out of my grasp. I didn't bother stopping him as he dragged it away, choosing to simply pick something else to eat.

"He's finally been found?!" I eyebrows scrunched in confusion as I turned in my seat, staring at the older boy. Mom seemed to be confused as well as she put a hand to her chest.

"Found? What are you talking about?"

"Yeah, didn't he say tell you he was leaving to do his job?"

"He didn't disappear?"

"My goodness, Tsuna! Who do you think gets all the funding for your school and food?" She adopted a dreamy look as she started to sway happily. "That's right, I've been keeping contact with him as he dug for oil in foreign countries. He's a man of dirt!"

"Dirt..." Futa blinked innocently. I'd say we were on the same page, I had no idea why she was so happy.

"I can see why Tsuna's so confused. Maman doesn't talk about Papan much, I thought it was taboo." Futa nodded as he tugged on his scarf.

"I thought he was already dead."

'Ah, that might not be something you should say, kid.' I dead panned at the statement before I shook my head.

"Did you really think that we'd be so relaxed if we knew that he went missing?" I questioned the boy as he became more and more bewildered.

"But mom, you said he disappeared!" She suddenly stopped, pulling a face that told me that she was thinking. She soon told us that dad simply told her to tell Tsuna that he became a star in the sky since it was romantic and shit like that.

"He said that?" I asked in disbelief. I had no idea, I assumed he said his farewells to Tsunayoshi before he left.

"Papan is a funny person." Bianchi commented as Tsunayoshi practically had a meltdown.

"And when will he be back?" Mom handed Tsuna a post card, the same one that I saw on the counter from when I first came downstairs. He stared at the penguins and glaciers on the card. "Oil comes from a place like this?!"

I didn't comment as I put my empty plate away, gathering up Hamu and setting him on my shoulder before wordlessly going back to my room. Once I shut the door, Hamu jumped onto my bed before he scurried onto my night table and climbed his way onto the floor before he jumped into his wheel and started to spin it.

I let the hamster do his exercise as I flopped onto my bed, thinking about how it has been a while since I've heard from the man that I call my father. I blinked when I heard a thud, glancing over at the still spinning wheel and its lack of hamster. A small smile made its way onto my face as that hamster shook the fall off and climbed through the tubes that lead up to my dresser. He then settled into his own bed, burrowing into the small enclosure as he gave a yawn. I petted him with a small smile before reaching over and turning off the light.

"Goodnight, Hamu."

"Hamu~"

~Transition_\\('-')/_Transition~

The next day, I was rudely woken up once again. Though, it wasn't the normal commotion that bothered me this time. Instead, the puffy body of a hamster practically suffocated me as I woke with a start.

"Hamu." I glared in annoyance as the hamster stared up at me. We stared each other down before I sighed and opened my door. "I swear, why can't you act like a normal hamster and go to the bathroom in a cage." I scooped up the animal once we got to the stairs and then opened the door to my backyard, watching as it scampered into the grass and disappeared.

"Nakuka? What are you doing outside?" I turned at the voice and spotted my mother.

"Hamu wanted to go outside." I jerked a thumb towards where the hamster disappeared. My mother nodded in understanding.

"Say, Na-chan, how about you go hang out with your brother and his friends. I heard they were going to the shopping district today."

"I'll pass." I frowned as I glanced to the side, hoping Hamu would show up.

"Why not? You need to be around kids around your age, Nakuka. There's no need to be shy."

"I'm not being shy." I huffed in annoyance. "I'm not even invited to go. It would be awkward if I just invited myself like that."

"I could just ask Tsu-kun if he would take you along." I grimaced.

"No, I'm not going."

"Ah, but Tsu-kun already said you could."

"I said I'm not going." I narrowed my eyes at the woman, not liking how pushy she was. "I'm perfectly fine with being alone, I don't want to be around them."

"Please?" Her face took on a pleading look, slight worry shining in it. "I feel like something is going to happen. I would feel better if you two had each other to rely on."

I stayed silent, not giving anything away as I stared at this woman's face. It was strange, I never saw this side of her. It suddenly occurred to me, Sawada Nana may be naive and optimistic, but she was not oblivious.

"Fine." Relief washed over her young-looking face as she thanked me. I half-heartedly noted Hamu running into the house as we all went back in. "Do you want me to get a cake for when dad comes home?"

"Would you?" She seemed to sparkled as she gave me a hug, making me stiffen uncomfortably.

"Yeah, I can pick one up when I go out later."

"Thank you, Na-chan." I blinked, stilling for a moment before I hugged the woman, making her light up with joy. What can I say? I had to give this one to the woman. She did put up with my shitty attitude all these years, after all.

"Yeah..." I spotted Hamu on the table, standing on his hind legs as he swayed his body. I immediately narrowed my eyes.

'Don't you mock me, you little shit.'

"Um..." I separated myself from the brown haired woman, instead focusing my attention on the unsure Tsunayoshi that stood in the doorway. "I... um..."

"Is it time to go?" He blinked in surprise before he nodded wordlessly. I didn't waste any time to get out of the room, slightly unhappy that Tsunayoshi caught such an out of character moment for me. So, I went to the front door and slipped on my shoes as Tsunayoshi did as well before we both exited our home to see a rather large group of people waiting. I awkwardly followed along as Tsunayoshi was greeted with warm hellos.

We all started to walk to the shopping district as I couldn't help but think that I slightly regretted tagging along.

'This is awkward as fuck.' My eyes caught on to that one chick that my brother obviously likes, making me look away. I could feel the separation between me and the group, I could tell that I didn't belong. And for the first time, it felt kind of lonely.

"That's a cute hamster."

"Huh? Uh, yeah." I honestly almost forgot that the orange and white hamster was on my shoulder.

"What's his name?"

"Well, I guess he goes by Hamu." I glanced at the honey eyed girl before looking forward again. "Since he says that..."

"Oh really?"

"Hamu~"

"Oh, he's super cute!" The girl laughed happily as the hamster twitched its nose at her.

"Haru agrees!" I blinked as a ponytailed girl popped into my view. "Hello, you must be Nakuka-san! Haru's name is Miura Haru! Nice to meet you, future mafia sister-in-law!" I blinked in surprise before I sent Tsunayoshi an incriminating look. There's one thing with the sister-in-law stuff, but what's with the mafia?

"T-That's not it!" I let him flounder, knowing there was really no way of explaining himself without hurting Haru's feelings. He kept glancing between Haru, Kyoko, and I as he did so. It didn't take long for his lapdog to jump in, yapping at the ponytailed girl who was still clasping my hand.

"Don't embarrass the Tenth, woman!"

"Maa Maa~ Calm down, Gokudera. You're scaring the shoppers." My eyes looked over at the taller teen before I looked away, feeling slightly uncomfortable when I remembered what I said all those months ago. I'm sure as hell that he didn't forget either.

"I want to go to the arcade!" Futa happily tugged on Yamamoto's sleeve.

"Haha~ You want a match?" Ever so competitive, Gokudera had to add in his two cents.

"I'll definitely beat you!"

"Huh, Lambo-kun is missing." Kyoko noted as the group suddenly started to disperse into different stores, but stayed in the general vicinity. I stood their awkwardly, wondering where to go before I headed into the arcade. Soft music hit my ears as I entered and got some arcade tokens. I spotted Reborn on a shooting game, mystifying those who watched him. Even I had to say that he was pretty good at it. So, I joined him, I enjoyed those kind of games anyway.

"Ready? Start!" I picked up the plastic gun and started to shoot at the targets, making all the terrorists fall. "Amazing! Don't hit the hostage!"

"You have some shooting potential." I blinked, but kept my gaze on the screen.

"Hah, I can hardly call my skills at a video game that." I shot at the random flurry of mechanical bugs that swarmed into the room. "It's not like this gun is heavy or has recoil."

"Hm." Reborn agreed. "Tell me, what do you think of Tsuna?"

I blinked and raised a questioning eyebrow at the screen. "Why does that matter?"

"Just simple curiosity." I stayed silent until I forgot to duck in the game and died. The screen flashed, asking me to insert more tokens to continue with a timer counting down. I ignored it as I stowed the gun into the compartment.

"I don't. I guess I didn't really like him much."

"You guess?" I turned to the small person, staring into his never ending eyes. It almost felt like he was trying to dig into my thoughts, but I couldn't seem to care at the moment as I shrugged. I'm too old for this shit.

"Yeah."

"I see."

"Hey, I haven't seen you in a while, Nakuka." I turned and saw the one person I had no urge to talk with. The (physically) older boy gave me a smile as he jerked a thumb over his shoulder.

"Want to play that with me?"

"Uh, sure." I followed Yamamoto as I glanced around, spotting that Gokudera kid losing to Futa on an arcade machine. I didn't bother watching him blow up as I sat down on the plastic race car seat; I gripped the wheel after I inserted the tokens, watching as he did the same. We sat in silence as we revved up our virtual race cars; soon enough, he was beating me in the race, placing me in second.

"Hey, you're pretty good at this."

"Mn..."

"You know, you were right." I blinked, glancing over at him before returning my gaze to the game. "I shouldn't have given up like that."

I stilled, not bothering to control the race car anymore as it crashed in an explosion.

"You and Tsuna showed me that I have to keep going and try my hardest. Man, you two are really amazing, it must run in the family."

"I guess." I said quietly. An uncomfortable feeling filled my stomach and nothing could make it go away. I recognized this feeling, I've only felt it once before, but I recognized it.

'Stop feeling so guilty; you were right, he shouldn't have given up.' I let out a heavy, silent breath. 'I really am a horrible person.'

I felt the inclination to tell him that I was wrong. It hung on the back of my throat, on the edge of exiting through my mouth and receding make into my stomach where the thought would die for the moment.

"I-"

"Hey, baseball freak! Let's get going, Juudaime wants to meet up at a cafe."

"I'll be right there!" The boy flashed me a bright grin. "Come one, we should catch up with them."

I watched as he jogged away, leaving me staring after him. I blinked slowly, hands still on the wheel as my eyes shifted to where he was sitting just a few seconds ago.

"Don't be stupid. I could never help someone like you."

"Hamu~" A soft nudge against my cheek reminded me of the rodent that sat on my shoulder.

"Right, I should get going." And so I exited the cafe, carelessly dropping the rest of my tokens in my bag. I stopped for a moment once I got outside, seeing Tsunayoshi's group walking ahead of me. My fingers curled a little as I watched them, a familiar feeling of solitude settled in.

'Even in this new life, nothing seemed to change.'

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**Author's Note:**

**Well, this was going to be longer, but I didn't feel like writing the moment where Basil and Squalo come in, so that'll happen next chapter.**

**Also, I was thinking that I might change the title of the story. I have no idea what I wanna change it to, so I guess if you guys have any suggestions, then I'm up for it.**

**Also, those reviews make me really happy. So, keep them coming! I love hearing your thoughts and comments.**

**Anyway, hopefully I'll be able to update soon.**

**See you guys soon~**


	9. I'm not dumb

**Congratulations to N3ss13 for being my 150th follower!**

**Congratulations to "Guest" for being my 30th reviewer! But serious, brah, you need an account!**

**By the way, I think I'll be answering reviews at the end of chapters instead of through PMs now. It just seems more convenient.**

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I stayed away from most of the group. I couldn't stand being around their suffocating happiness. Instead, I went inside a store to escape them, picking up the cake I promised to buy for Nana. The sudden shattering of glass and the screams of the shoppers broke the calm air as I shielded myself from the flying shards. The cashier immediately fled, leaving me alone in the store. Despite the situation, I took it upon myself to grab a small serving of strawberry shortcake, no sense in saying no to free food. Once I was done with my minor theft- though technically not since they most likely would have thrown it out due to the risk of glass shards being stuck in the cakes- I headed outside, wondering what the commotion was about. My eyes soon spotted a silver haired man with a katana. The scene was chaotic as bystanders ran in a frenzy. I spotted Tsunayoshi and his friends a bit away. Despite better judgement, I didn't leave the scene as the other girls and kids in our group did.

Some boy that I didn't recognize stood by Tsunayoshi, helping him up as the man with ridiculously shiny hair (seriously, looks like he's from a shampoo commercial) jumped in front of him.

"Huh, who are these kids?" The menacing smirk on his face never disappeared as the new boy suddenly had an expression that said he messed up. My stepped behind a fallen table as I watched the silver haired man suddenly fly towards the boy with his sword. The boy with the blue flame, suspiciously like the one Tsunayoshi sometimes gets on his forehead, flew back into a building as blood flew into the air. I didn't flinch away as I watched the man flick blood away from his blade, having effectively opened a decent sized wound on the young teen.

"Y-You-" Tsunayoshi stuttered as he stared at the boy's unmoving figure. He whipped around with terrified eyes as both our eyes were brought to the silver haired man.

"Yeah, you... You, what's your real relation with this kid? If you don't spit it out, I"ll slice you." Obviously, I would have just stuck to hiding behind the table, but a certain promise with a brown haired woman echoed in my head.

"What's it to you?" I almost felt something in me cringe as the man turned a murderous eye to me.

"Hah? Another kid?" There were suddenly a volley of what looked like firecrackers in the air, making the man jump back from the explosion that took place. I took my chance to side myself with Tsunayoshi, knowing that I wouldn't provide much protection.

"Nakuka?" Tsunayoshi said to himself more than to me. I didn't respond as I watched his friends step out behind the man.

"Lay a hand on that person, and I won't let you go free."

"Yeah, something like that. I'll be your opponent." I eyed the weapons in their hands, but looked at the man as he was top priority at the moment.

"Gokudera-kun! Yamamoto!"

"You guys are also related in some way, eh? I don't get it, but I'll tell you something I know for sure." He stood up and gave them a smirk. "If you go against me, you'll die."

"Right back at you."

"That's a sword he has, right? I'll go." I frowned at their cockiness. What can two Nanimori students do against a sword-wielding psychopath? He was able to slice open concrete for fuck's sake. I glanced to the side as the other boy from earlier crawled out the whole, definitely seeing better days.

"Please don't! he isn't a man thou can win against!"

"It's too late to regret!"

"Let's go!" I could only watch as the boy that I have been talking to not even ten minutes ago clashed swords with the man. It didn't take long for the teen to go down, sadly enough. The other boy growled as he pulled out what I thought to be firecrackers earlier, but the tops of them were sliced off as he got the stuffings beat out of him.

I stared impassively at them, there earlier cockiness making the scene extremely difficult to look at.

"Heeeey~ These guys aren't even worth talking about. Just die." Even if I didn't care for the boys, I had to say that I was glad for the unknown boy's timing as he protected the smoking brat from the man.

"You should go find cover." I blinked as looked at the baby that stood behind me, I angled myself towards him while I made sure to keep the man in my peripheral vision. I didn't know how long the boy was going to last, after all. It turns out it wasn't long as he was quickly dealt with. I blankly watched Reborn toss Tsunayoshi some mittens as they soon transformed into a pair of sturdy gloves with metal cuffs. A flame burst on his forehead and he grabbed the man's wrist before he could kill the other boy. My teeth clenched as I suddenly realized how in the dark I was.

"Explain. What's going on?" I sent a heated look towards Reborn as he shed his plant costume. He stared at me, but I refused to look away as I glared into the seemingly bottomless pools of his eyes.

"I will tell you later." I accepted the answer, knowing that I now isn't the time to be hounding for information. I turned back to battle, catching the kid's name- it was Basil- as he handed Tsunayoshi a case full of rings. He spouted on about not handing them over to the other man, but I was more distracted by another man as he held a whip taunt in his hands.

"You're just like yourself, Superbi Squalo. Isn't it embarrassing being so rough on kids?" I didn't even bother questioning who the blond was.

"Di-Dino-san!"

'Well, that answered my question.'

"Voi, Bucking Horse. I have no problem with killing you right here, but if I fight people from allied families, the higher-ups will be nagging me. For today, I'll quietly-" He seemed to give up, but that was not the case as he suddenly lifted Tsunayoshi off the ground by his hair. "-not go home!"

"Let go of that head!" I shielded my eyes as Squalo threw something down, the thing proved to be smoke bombs as this Dino guy rushed to Tsunayoshi and Basil to ask if they were all right.

"For your sake, I'll leave their lives in your hands, but I'll take this. Voi!" He held the small case his in his hand, somehow looking down at us from the top of a building.

"The Vongola rings!" I blinked and stared at Basil, narrowing my eyes as I remembered what the voice of my Kokuyo Land captor said.

_"Don't trust the Vongola."_

"See ya."

"W-Wait!" Basil collapsed as he tried to follow, instantly being reprimanded by Dino.

"Hey, don't move around too much." I stood a distance from the group, taking note of who seemed to be affiliated with this _Vongola_. It didn't take long for me to find out that Squalo was a part of it and that Dino was allied with them. It seemed to me that Basil was also a member (if not allied with them) as he was protecting the rings, and my brother and his friends were most likely a part of this shady business.

Suddenly, Rokudo's mocking voice floated in my head from a memory not long ago. _"You have no idea about what's going on in your own house."_

My eyes narrowed as I heard a random man in a suit informed us that the police were coming. I didn't bother with Tsunayoshi's friends ran up, seeming to recover from being knocked out. Reborn was merciless as he told them to go home.

"They probably sensed it already. After being defeated in such a one-sided match, there's no way they're not pissed off. Leave them alone for now." My eyes trailed Reborn's figure before I glanced at the boy's behind me. A small squeak reminded me about my current mission and I nodded at the hamster that appeared out of nowhere.

"Right."

~Transition_\\('-')/_Transition~

I waited patiently outside of Basil's room, not wanting to enter the room just yet as I listened on to the conversation between Reborn, Dino, and Tsunayoshi.

"It's unknown how much blood were shed for these rings." I stared at the floor, watching as Hamu ran around in circles. Though, I didn't let his antics distract me from the information gathering.

"EHHHH! You actually have the rings?!"

"Well, that's because you're Vongola's-"

"S-Stop! I have to go home and study for my prep classes! I'd better work hard!" I looked to the side as Tsunayoshi rushed out of the room, completely missing me and almost squishing Hamu as he ran home.

"Hamu!" The hamster let out in indignant squeak as he dodged the boy's shoe. He quickly ran up my leg and sat on my shoulder to avoid a premature death.

"D-Does he think he can get away...?" There was a silence before Reborn spoke.

"Basil was a decoy, wasn't he?"

"Yeah, He probably wasn't told about it. That person probably figured that this would happen. It must've been a tough decision. Though, he should've just given these directly to Tsuna. He came to Japan with me, you know?"

"I see, so he came. You can come in now." I blinked and stood there for a second, wondering if he was talking to me. I decided he was as I walked in with a stony face.

"Eeeh! How long have you been listening?!" I shot Dino a glance as he turned to the smaller male. "Reborn, it isn't good if civilians hear this stuff!"

"I know that." He kicked the man in the face, but I ignored the familiar treatment that Tsunayoshi receives in favor for the promise made earlier. A serious frown snaked onto my face as I stared at the baby, getting down to business as the hospital air seem to stiffen.

"What is the Vongola?"

~POV Reborn~

Reborn knew that the whole mafia business was going to be hard to keep under wraps. He couldn't necessarily use his usual methods of disposing loose ends in the peaceful town of Nanimori. There were bound to be a select few who would figure out that the mafia was living right under their noses.

He knew the signs were there as well. Tsuna's younger sister was not as trusting as their mother was, the same one who welcomed him with open arms, unaware of the danger his seemingly innocent face brought. He knew that the youngest Sawada was suspicious of him the moment he entered the house, preferring to stay away from him as much as she could and keeping a sharp eye on him when she was around.

The way her eyes stared them down, unabashed when she was caught by those who were subjected to them. No, she made it clear that she was suspicious of a person. In a way, Reborn was intrigued by the child, she knew how to trip people up with her words, an aspect that would do quite well in mafia business meetings. A shame, considering the fact that he was forbidden from bringing her into the mafia, unlike her older brother.

Getting back on topic, he knew that Sawada Nakuka would figure out that information was being hidden from her. Tsuna and his friends were not top notch actors after all. He noticed how her uncaring attitude seem to change once she came back from Kokuyo Land, her eyes took on a more calculating look and she didn't brush off their conversations anymore.

That aspect was too dangerous in a world where nosy people were snuffed out like a candle, so he had to satisfy her thirst for information just enough to keep her from interfering. Though, he knew that was difficult; there was no guarantee that she would be kept from the dark undersides of the mafia, it had a intriguing ability to drag in unwilling members.

Though, he his reasoning wasn't entirely to keep this girl from the mafia. No, he knew how much Tsuna respected his sister, despite their estrangement. He knew that the boy wanted her approval and that such a thing could be used to make Tsuna into a better mafia boss. That was why he made sure to leave hints that Tsuna was improving, evolving from that pathetic person he used to be. And it was working, though he would have to be careful with how he dealt with the girl, seeing as she was now privy to the mafia.

"Are you sure it was wise to tell her?" Reborn glanced at his first student as he shut the case to the Vongola rings.

"She would have found out eventually."

"And what about giving her the rings to deliver. Wasn't that dangerous?" He didn't miss the worried look that Dino sent him, so he dealt with it promptly. "Ow! Reborn!"

"Don't doubt me."

~POV Nakuka~

I was oddly at peace, maybe even in a daze, as I walked through the streets of Nanimori. I guess I should be more panicked or something, considering the fact that I just learned that Tsunayoshi was a part of the mafia group, the Vongola.

"The Vongola, huh." I knocked on the door of a run down apartment. I waited in silence, basking in the sunny day as if a bloody battle for a set of rings didn't just happen a hour or two ago.

"What do you- Jyuudaime's sister!" I watched as the silver haired teen instinctively snuffed out his cigarette. I suppose I would have been pleased by such an action; heck, I wasn't even bothered when he didn't call me by my name as I held out a ring with a red stone set in it.

"Here."

"Huh?" He gingerly took the ring in his bandaged hands.

"Vongola rings. Congratulations." Despite my bland tone, he looked vaguely alarmed. "Don't even bother."

I knew exactly what he was thinking and that made me angry. I narrowed my eyes at the boy. "I'm not stupid, I would have figured out that you guys were a part of the mafia. So, stop treating me like I am." I growled at the boy, turning to leave in a fit of repressed rage as I went to go track down the second- and last- ring holder.

It didn't take very long, though. By the time I reached Takesushi, my anger had subsided just a bit. I entered the shop and stood at the entrance, waiting for anybody to greet me.

"Hello, what would you like today." I blinked and stared at the woman in front of me. The woman held a gentle and sophisticated aura as she stood in front of me. The yukata she wore fit her very well as well as her done up hair. Her hazel eyes stared down at me, clearly reminding me of the boy I was meant to find.

"Nothing, I need to talk to Takeshi." If she was put off by my curt tone, she didn't show it. Instead, she bowed her head and silently lead me to the back.

"Take those stairs and go straight down the hall, Takeshi's room is the door right in front of it." I nodded my thanks to the woman. I quietly climbed up the stairs and knocked on the door with unnecessary force.

"Huh? Nakuka-chan?" I brushed passed him, rudely entering the room as Yamamoto closed the door, his eyes portraying his wariness. I let him squirm in the silence, taking a little bit of my disgruntlement out on him. I sighed silently and finally decided to spare him as I held up the ring.

"How long were you guys planning on hiding it from me?" The confusion in his eyes told me he wasn't sure of what I was talking about. "This Vongola shit. The mafia."

His light brown eyes cleared up in understanding and shock. I huffed through my nose and roughly sat the ring into his hand. I silently went to exit the room before I stopped and turned around, glaring at the stock-still boy.

"I'm not a fool, Yamamoto Takeshi. Don't act like I am." I sharply left the room after I gave the boy the same warning I gave Gokudera Hayato. I would have been fine if Tsunayoshi had just told me what was going on, but they went behind my back and involved me in this type of shit. And no matter of bullshit would keep me from thinking of this. I knew how the mafia worked, if your associated, then your easily a target as well.

"Shoujo-chan." I stopped and stared at the woman that I had met earlier, my bad mood calmed down a tad bit as curiosity got ahold of me. She smoothly strolled up to me, it was almost as if she was made of water and skated on ice. It was rather impressive, truth be told.

'What does she want?'

"You have much anger in you." I raised an eyebrow as I kept my flat stare on her. What tipped her off? The bitch face or my pissed off stance? "I would like you to meet me for tea some time."

"I guess." I was about to leave when the woman held out a slip of paper.

"I will hold you to your promise." I glanced at the paper as the woman's hands receded into her sleeves, quickly figuring out that this was her most likely her address. I nodded, not bothering to tell her that I never promised, and exited the shop. I continued down the street, unaware of those hazel eyes that watched me until I was out of sight.

In the end, I finally made it to my house. The entire day seemed to catch up with me as I noticed the multitude of male clothing hanging out to dry along with a hardhat and a pair of boots. I frowned when I entered the house to found a couple of drunk, stumbling kids.

'Great, what could aggravate me more?' And so I wandered to the the living room as I passed a pallid Tsunayoshi, finding exactly what I predicted there to be. I stared blankly at the snoring man, his crab boxers waving a claw cheerfully at me.

And so I did what was natural, I raised my leg and stomped.

"Gah! Nakuka!" And how satisfying it felt.

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**Author's Notes:**

**Question: Do you guys like the new title? Indifferent? Or do you guys like the old one?**

**I don't know. I just felt like Red Spider Lilies was more relevant to the story (or at least will be), but I'm kinda attached to Frozen Skies and Lullabies just because of how long this story was named that. Please give me your thoughts~**

**Reviews:**

**Guest: If all goes according to plan, then I will have to say that the possibility is high. ;) And that is an interesting idea, looped out Nakuka would be amusing, wouldn't it?**

**Dustflame: I'm glad you found Hamu cute, I imagine him to just be the happy ball of fluff and sunshine to Nakuka's foul-mouth doom and gloom. Huh, that is kinda cool, I will now say that I totally planned that *wink wink, nudge nudge***

**Sorry if I didn't answer your reviews here, it most likely means that I already answered to you via private message, so it'd be kinda redundant to type the responses again.**

**Anyway, keep the reviews commin', I love seeing what you guys think!**


	10. Innocent Little Girl

**Congratulations to Girl-from-stars for being my 40th reviewer! And congratulations to 10th Squad 3rd Seat for being my 50th reviewer!**

**And this is pretty exciting, guy! I'm almost to 200 followers and 150 favorites!**

**It's crazy to think that I only started this three months ago! I'm honestly surprised that I have been uploading chapters for this long, it's a new record! *parties***

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"Gah! Nakuka!" I backed away from the man as he curled into himself, gripping his stomach. Hamu had ran off my shoulder during the commotion and started to jump on top of my old man as if to add insult to injury; I'll have to get that hamster some ham after this. I didn't acknowledge Reborn as he also entered the room. "What was that for, darling daughter of mine?"

"Stop messing around. You're a part of all this shit, aren't you?"

"Huh? What are you talking about, my little angel?" My eyes narrowed. No amount of using childhood nicknames, no matter how ironic (considering the fact that I have died before), would distract me. I let a sigh escape me, nevertheless.

"Forget it, I'm too old for this shit."

"Nakuka~ Don't use language like that!" I made sure to flip him off. It has been a long day, I didn't need his sass. So, I headed upstairs, forgetting his shenanigans. Unbeknownst to me, Reborn and dad were talking about the exact thing that I confronted him about.

"Sending Tsuna the rings so soon, things must have gotten really bad." Iemitsu's eyes hardened and that was all Reborn needed for an answer.

"How much does she know?"

"Just the basics, she would have figured it out eventually."

"Nakuka had always been a smart girl. It's a wonder where she got her attitude from. How about Nana?"

"Nothing." Iemitsu's forehead smoothed out as the weight of the situation lifted a little bit. Just the fact that his youngest child knew about the mafia seemed to take ten years off his life. He couldn't bear it if Nana knew about it, he wanted to protect that innocence that he fell in love with. "You have quite the family, Iemitsu."

At that, Iemitsu let out a tired bark of laughter. Oh, how well he knew that.

~Transition_\\('-')/_Transition~

I tried to sleep in. Honest, I really tried. I was even willing to ignore the usual noise that went on in Sawada household. Hell, I even ignored Lambo's crying when dad didn't catch him after tossing him in the air. I couldn't ignore Tsunayoshi's high pitch squealing at the ungodly hours of eight in the morning, though.

"So, if I have this on me, I become a part of the mafia?!"

"Would you shut up?" I growled in a low voice, sleep clinging to my eyes. The idea that I probably looked worse for wear was casted off once Tsunayoshi turned to me, the shiny half of a ring swinging on the chain hung around his neck.

"N-Nakuka!" He seemed to panic as he stuffed the ring into his shirt and wrung his hands in a nervous fashion. The sleep seemed to seep out of my system at the small move. My eyes flickered towards the hitman tutor before they made their way back to Tsunayoshi.

"Don't bother. I already know about the mafia." Tsunayoshi stilled, his face slackened as his eyes widened in disbelief. It only took him a second to spin around to face Reborn in a uncharacteristically serious way.

"Reborn, you told her?!"

"She was figuring it out on her own. It was only a matter of time until she would have found out."

"That doesn't mean that you should involve her in the mafia!" I stayed silent, taken aback by the distress that Tsunayoshi displayed.

'Why is he so upset about this?'

"Just because I know doesn't mean that I'll be involved. If anything, just being associated with you had made me involved. Technically, I didn't have a choice." I watched as he cringed, an odd expression formed on his face at my words.

'Guilt?'

"Then even more reason for me to not accept this." He gripped the ring in his hand with a serious look set in his eyes.

'Since when has he been like this?' I blinked in slight surprise, but composed myself when I noticed Reborn staring at me. He looked away, favoring Tsunayoshi at the moment as he spoke.

"You can't get rid of it. You have already been recognized as a rightful candidate. Some people have already targeted the ring."

"Like that guy from yesterday?" The tiny hitman nodded and the room seemed to lull into a soft silence before Tsunayoshi's face turned ashen. "Wait a minute! What will happen when those guys finds out that the rings he took were fake?!"

"Well, they'll come from the real ones."

"Then I'll definitely be killed!"

"It'll take them about ten days to figure out that the rings are fake."

"That doesn't solve anything!"

"Are you going to let Basil's planning go to waste?"

'This is going nowhere.' I deadpanned at the conversation, Hamu also looking at the boy in the same manner as he continued to panic. I heaved a sigh as I cut into his hysteria.

"Then you'll just have to train and kill them before they kill you, huh. That's what you've been training for this whole after all, right?"

"Not you too, Nakuka!" I didn't grant him a response as I pushed myself off the door, softly closing it behind me as I went back to my room. I flopped back into my bed planning to get my needed hours of sleep when the crinkle of paper distracted me. I reached under me, peeling a sticky note off of my body as I scanned the writing. I sighed as I rolled over, letting my hand with the note flop onto my stomach.

"What a bothersome life." And with that, I pushed myself off the bed to go make a phone call.

~Transition_\\('-')/_Transition~

"Is this it?" My eyebrows scrunched together as I shielded my eyes from the rays of sunshine that threatened to blind me. I glanced down at the piece of paper that I scribbled the address on, making sure that I got the right place. "Looks like it..."

I wandered up to the traditional japanese house, going past the open gates and finding the woman from yesterday leisurely sitting on the walkway. She didn't bother to open her eyes as she spoke.

"Come, sit next to me." I warily sent a look, unsure of what to make of the stranger as I did what I was told. "Come closer. I am not going to bite."

"Who are you?" She opened her eyes.

"Ah, down to the hard hitting questions. You're quite a rational soul, aren't you? That's good, even the gentlest looking of rivers may have currents that can speed away towns." At my silence, she continued. "I am Yamamoto Kosame. You may be aware of my nephew, Yamamoto Takeshi."

"Yeah, I do." I settled myself in, listening to shishi-odoshi* as it struck against the stone bowl underneath it.

"Enjoying it?" I looked at her as she stared off into the gardens, a peaceful aura emanating around the whole compound as we sat there. An amused look entered her eyes as a smile curled the corner of her lips daintily. "My godson enjoys it a lot. He was smitten with the device when I told him what the purpose of it was. He wouldn't leave it alone for a month when I had it installed."

A quiet laugh left her lips as I continued to sit there, unsure of what to do next.

"What is it intended for?"

"Hmm? Oh, it's to keep animals from grazing on the gardens. My godson used to just chase them off in that little game of his before I got my shishi-odoshi; I never did get his fascination with the hierarchy of animals, though."

I stayed silent. As much as I loved to talk about some lady's godson, I'd rather get down to business. "Why did you want to meet me here?"

"Down to business, just like that silly child." She sighed, making the simple action seem elegant. "I suppose I should tell you."

I blinked as I met her eyes, something in them made me unable to look away.

"I see potential in you. Yes, quite a bit, but that potential is being held back by what you keep locked inside you."

"Glad you care, but I'm not a charity case. I don't need a therapist." I frowned at the silent offer, getting ready to leave the second she pushed it.

"And I agree. You need time to heal, I am merely here to lend an ear and prepare you for what life intends to cast on you."

'Ah, so she's one of those types, huh.'

"Whatever you say..." And so I sat there, the silence seeping into my very being before I had enough and got up. "It's been a good time, but I really need to be getting home."

Kosame lowered her head, seemingly not bothered by my rude behavior. "Very well, it was nice meeting you. Hopefully, fate will bring us to cross paths again."

"I guess..." And I hightailed it out of there.

~Transition_\\('-')/_Transition~

Kosame sat there as her young guest left. She wasn't bothered by the youth's reluctance to draw nearer to her being. It was natural, after all. It was just in her nature, solitude and self-reliance was in her soul. Lucky for Kosame, she was used to dealing with such fickle personalities. She guessed she could even say that she had a knack for attracting these types, or so her brother had said in passing.

"Kosame." She heard a light tap on the polished wood of her floors, keying her in to the identity of the figure as her eyes were still shut.

"Hello, Colonello-san. It has been a while, hasn't it?"

"It has. Was that the Sawada-brat's sister, kora?"

"It was." Kosame gently poured the blond baby a cub of tea, handing over the small cup as he thanked her. They were enveloped in the infectious calm before Colonello's sharp eyes turned to her.

"You know, he's just arrived in Japan." At that, Kosame opened her hazel eyes; a flash running through them as she turned her gaze to Colonello's.

"So soon? Just like a buzzard, he swoops in the moment he smells prey."

"You can't deny that he is good at his job, though."

"Even so. I worry about what fate has in store for us now that he has been added into the plan. Such poor children, they don't even realize how deep they are into the mafia; they are already surrounded by them.."

"And that's why we're training them." The baby stood up, leaving the empty tea cup on the floor as his seagull took him up. "Thanks for the tea, Kosame, but I need to get back to training the sun guardian, kora! Good luck with your charge."

Without a response, the baby flew away with the flap of his seagull's wings, leaving Kosame to stare after the duo. Her eyes stared after them until they became specks in the blue horizon, a sigh broke through her lips. Her eyes travelled down to the teacup that was left untouched in her hands, a single tea leaf floating on the surface of the brown liquid.

"Yes, luck, we will all be needing plenty of that."

~Transition_\\('-')/_Transition~

It didn't take me long to leave Yamamoto's aunt's house. I made sure of that. I couldn't stand it. I really couldn't stand how she analyzed me. How she seemed to see right through me. How right she was. It unnerved me; I know that I shouldn't take pride in it, but I really do pride myself in being unpredictable, hard to read. But that woman took seconds to break down the barriers that I have built and that made me feel threatened, though I sensed no ill will from her.

"Leave it to a Yamamoto to get under my skin." I frowned as I absentmindedly kicked a pebble away from me.

"Nakuka, how was your little outing? Fun, wasn't it?" I didn't bother reacting as he held a hand to the top of my head and measured my height. "Wow, you're getting so big, my little Nakuka. And you're getting so pretty, too! I'm going to have to bat those boys off of you soon, aren't I?" He gave me a goofy smile as he forced me to sit down on our porch. "I remember like it was yesterday, you were just learning how to walk. Where does time go?"

"Well, two years seems to be a good place to start." I huffed as he gave a bark of laughter, scaring Hamu as he scampered off into who-knows-where.

"That's one thing that hasn't changed about you! You're still as sassy as I remembered!"

"Can you not." I pushed his large hand off of my head and tried to smooth down the hairs that he disrupted. "Where's Tsunayoshi, anyway? Didn't you want to bond with him or something?"

"Hm? He seems to be busy. You don't think he's avoiding your dear old papa, do you?!" I felt myself wilt a little at his antics. I forgot how draining this man was.

"Probably." A shocked look entered the man's face, but I ignored it for the moment. "If you just explained your job to him, then maybe he'd understand you more." Something tugged on my senses, bringing my eyes back to the man as the shock wiped off all the mirth that he was displaying earlier. Something flashed in his eyes that left my gaze lingering on him, past interactions telling me that he was hiding something.

"Ahaha! You think so? But Tsuna doesn't want to listen to my work stories, he always leaves whenever I bring them out!" As if to make a point, he pulled out a bunch of postcards. I didn't take the cue to grab the cards, leaving the man with a dejected face. "Well, at least Nana will listen to my stories."

"I guess... Dad, what company do you even work for?"

"Oh, just a construction and oil company. Your manly papa works the dirt, you know!" I turned a sharp eye to him, watching his every move.

"But what's the name? It must be a pretty big company if you have to go all around the world just for construction and oil work. They have people more closer to do those type of jobs, so then why do you have to travel all the way there?"

"Huh, why? Do you miss your old man, Na-chan?~"

"Don't avoid the questions."

"Ah, well, it's not very well known. It's more of a private company, you wouldn't know."

"Try me." He paused, taking a moment to look at my face before my mother's voice floated over to us.

"Nakuka, Dear, what would you like for lunch?"

"Ah, I'll help you, Nana!" I watched as the underwear clad man headed back inside, not bothering to answer my questions.

"Tch, he escaped."

"Who escaped?" I blinked up at the older girl. Her pink hair swaying against her back as she took a graceful seat next to me.

"No one." Silence enveloped us for a second, my thoughts lazily drifting in my head. "Hey, Bianchi. How did you feel when you found out about the mafia?"

The older girl gave me a glance before she looked around, making sure no one else was listening. The ruckus from the kitchen told us where mother and father were, while the screams of children upstairs were a dead give away of where the other residents were.

"I was born and raised under the mafia. My first kill was by the time I was ten; It was normalcy for me, living with the knowledge that someone could come in and kill me just for being associated with the mafia. I have long accepted the fact that I could be dead the next day. You must be having a hard time with the fact, aren't you?"

I shook my head, staring at the garden with my dark hair curtaining my face. "I'm fine. I should be more distraught about it, but I can't find it in myself to panic. I guess I've never been the type, not like Tsunayoshi." I went silent as I heard my mother laugh, most likely feeding the mooching hamster right about now. "How long has Tsunayoshi known about this."

"About a year, when Reborn came to teach him."

"Why him? Isn't he the least likely person to be successful in the mafia."

"I would like to say he is so that Reborn could come back with me, but even I can see the progress that he has made." She gave a sigh and closed her chartreuse eyes. "Even Hayato has recognized his potential. From what I heard, he refused to follow anyone after he left home, up until now that is."

"It's true, Nakuka-san." I blinked and soon found Fuuta staring at us with sullen eyes. "Tsuna-nii really has been working hard."

"You're in on it, too?" I gave a huff. "Figures. It doesn't take a genius to see that you were all hiding something from me. Let me guess, Lambo and I-pin are a part of it, too?" At their silence and refusal to meet my eyes, I came to my own conclusions. "Whatever, it's not like it effects me that much."

"He already left with Reborn in order to get ready for the ring fights."

"I know, Reborn filled me in with all of this ring business. I figured that I wouldn't be seeing that lot for a while. But tell me, where does that leave me?"

Bianchi shot me a confused look. I didn't bother matching her gaze as my eyes watched the drifting clouds above. "As you said, someone in the mafia could send people to kill me just for being associated with someone in it. If someone came to kill me right now, then I frankly wouldn't be able to fight back."

"We would protect you."

"But how long will that last? What happens if none of you are around to keep a guy from slashing my throat or putting a bullet in my head."

"We can try to do the best we can..." I let out a huff of laughter, a surprised smile curled my lips as my eyebrows raised at the older teen.

"I'm surprised you answered so honestly. You didn't even try to sugar coat it with me."

"What use would there be?"

A silence drifted over us, we both stared at each other. An unspoken understanding between us as her eyes told me the darkness that would be waiting for me. I finally sighed, there was no use continuing this banter.

"Whatever. What comes, comes. There's not much that I can do." I got up to enter the house, letting Fuuta step out of the way before Bianchi spoke up.

"I meant it." I stopped and looked back, locking eyes with the teen. "We would do anything in our power to stop harm from coming to you and Maman."

I stayed silent, leaving the question of why they would protect me. I understood mother, but I was never as close to them as she was. But I figured that my death would be an inconvenience. And so I nodded before I silently escaped into the lively kitchen.

I walked past mother as she indulged Hamu with some of her cooking, noting the absence of my recently returned father. I made my way up the stairs and to my room, suddenly realizing how quiet the house was.

'So only doom and gloom awaits me. Joy.'

~Transition_\\('-')/_Transition~

It has only been a few days since the whole mafia business came out. I was preparing to go to school alone, I seemed to be doing that a lot lately, when dad came into my room right as I attempted to tie the bow on my uniform.

"What do you want, I have to go to school soon." I raised an eyebrow at him, looking at his reflection in the mirror before I focused back onto my bow, trying to make it look presentable. I wasn't in the mood to be bothered by disciplinary buffoons today.

"You asked me if I was involved, didn't you?" My fingers froze as I locked eyes with the man, turning around while the thoughts of tying my bow were abandoned.

"So, you really are in the mafia. I can't say that I'm surprised." The hard, grim look the entered his eyes was a surprising juxtaposition to his usual lackadaisical ways.

"I want to show you the fruits of Tsuna's labor." My eyebrows knitted. The hanging ribbon was soon ripped off of my person and tossed onto the bed where it fluttered down harmlessly.

"All right, show me that he isn't the same pathetic person that I've grown up with."

And with that, I was lead to a car. It was rather disappointing as I expected a grand limousine that all of those movie mafioso rode in. Though, logically they would want to be more discrete and would just take normal vehicles. Streets and neighbors soon turned to dirt paths and trees as the car soon came to a stop. I shot my dad a silent look, but all I got from it was him telling me to follow him.

The sound of fighting soon reached my ears and I came into a clearing with Reborn, Tsunayoshi, and that one kid from a few days ago. His name honestly escaped me, but it didn't bother me as I watched him launch Tsunayoshi across the clearing. My eyes widened slightly as a cloud of debris rose into the air from the boy's impact with the cliffside.

'I didn't think it was humanely possible to be that strong.' I turned a questioning eye, only to see my father smiling at the sight.

"As I suspected, Basil is several times better than Tsuna. He's your disciple after all, Iemitsu."

"Well, I raised him rather harshly." A frown graced my lips as I turned back to the duo. I felt upset. It was petty, I know. But I was upset at the fact that this man would just up and leave only to take care of some other kid. That proud look in his eyes made my insides curl, forcing me to look away. Not even Tsunayoshi's ability to rebound from Basil's punches could distract me from the newly found feeling.

'I'm being stupid. They're in the mafia, it makes sense that he would teach him.'

A sudden rumble caught my attention as Basil launched one of the stones that he caught into a boulder at the top of the cliff. The giant rock fell and pinned my crazed-looking brother as the flame on his forehead flickered wildly.

"Hyper dying will mode uses more of a person's spirit, so it's important to have control over it. Besides, if doesn't have control over that, then he won't be able to master that technique."

"And that's why we're doing this training. If he can't control his spirit, then he won't be able to beat Basil." I glanced at the baby before I looked at my father once more. "It's a type of training that pushes Tsuna's fighting instincts to the limit."

"Hey, dad..." I gazed at the fight. A sudden powerlessness seemed to take over me as the realization that, even in this state, Tsunayoshi was much stronger than me. The one person who I have always been stronger than, in every sense of the word, was now surpassing me and leaving me behind. It sickened me and the helplessness made the violence in me churn. And so I continued, speaking in a slightly heated tone as apprehension took a hold of my heart. "Will you train me?"

"No." The answer shocked me as I turned to the man. Though, my expression didn't convey surprise, no it was much darker and even angrier.

"Why not?"

"I can't." His eyes matched my sharp glare as the air around us seemed to get colder.

"Give me a reason."

"It wouldn't do you any good."

"That's not a reason."

"The answer is no."

"Then you're just going to leave me defenseless, waiting to be slaughtered by a random person I have never met!"

"You are already protected. Both you and Nana. We haven't failed in the past year in stopping harm from coming to you two."

"That's a bullshit reasoning and you know it! How long can that last before someone slips past you and murders us both just because you refused to teach me how to defend myself!"

"You cannot handle blood on your hands, Nakuka." My temper simmered down as I felt myself become stoic.

"Don't make assumptions. Do you think a little blood is enough to scare me off. It's killed or be killed, and no way in hell am I going to wait to be slaughtered. Just you wait, one day push will come to shove and I will have to put a bullet in someone's head. And I will watch that person die as their last breath leaves them and their blood stains the ground, then you will see that the innocent little girl that you have been trying so desperately to protect is gone. Though... I have to wonder, did that little girl even exist?" I narrowed my eyes as he didn't respond, his eyes was still trained on the battle that was going on.

I felt upset that he didn't seem to acknowledge what I said, but I knew that my words reached him. It would plant a seed in his thoughts, and that was all you really needed in order to breed more thoughts. And so I left, preparing to find my own in how to fight.

Because I'll be damned if I let myself be kicked around so easily. I will not let myself be convinced that I am fine.

I will live.

And I'm prepared to kill in order to do so.

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

***Shishi-odoshi: it's pretty much that bamboo stick that fills up with water and tilts over, making a sound as it strikes the stone/rock underneath it.**

**I was going to make this a bit longer, but I figured that I haven't uploaded in a while and won't be doing it again for about a week due to upcoming finals.**

**I would also like people to keep in mind that Nakuka was never fully a child when she was reborn as Nakuka, so that's what she was referring to when she said that little tid bit and the end of her hissy fit.**

**Reviews:**

**Where's the mayo: Yes! I'm glad that you like her! If only Nakuka could see that someone likes her piss poor attitude *sniffs and dries eyes*. Then again~ she'd probably just blow us off...**

**ExorcistWhite: Nope, not a Vongola guardian. I'm working out the kinks in the story (not really, I kinda make this up as I go) and as of yet, I don't think so. And me too, I love me some drama and fighting. ;)**

**YumiKage: I think that Nakuka's flame type will come out soon. And you know, I haven't really thought of that; thanks for giving me some ideas!**

**Dustflame: You betcha! I personally would think that I would get bored with writing a fic that involved a character who couldn't do anything to protect themselves. Making your characters rely on other is taxing, ya know?**

**10th Squad 3rd Seat: In the near future, she will be receiving that self defense stuff! And I would have to say that she is just more suspicious of people when she meets them than Tsuna, so she's more in tune with her instincts. But I will say that she's not going to be one of those Mary Sues who magically knows who to trust or when shit will hit the fan, she's not superhuman after all.**

**Moka-girl: I already answered you via PM, but I'm not sure if you saw it since you didn't reply. So, I'll just repeat it here again. Pretty much, the story is just starting out and I wanted to keep it cannon since I had to reason to make it any different as of yet. There will be some more divergence and differences later on, but I will ask you to stick around for that and hopefully it'll satisfy you. And the way I see it, Nana seems like the type of character who would give silly (and sometimes nonsensical) nicknames to those she's close to. So, I guess that's why. *shrugs***

**Once again, thank you to all of you who have reviewed. I love answering questions, so keep on asking them!**

**Question: If you could chose what flame and weapon Nakuka would use, what would you chose? If you could pair her up with anyone, who would it be? (I mean, fuck, it could be Leonardo DiCaprio for all I care. But seriously, I would die a little inside.)**

**Until next time, see ya~**


	11. Past Mistakes

**Congratulations to Yukihito for being the 200th follower! It's a special number indeed! :D**

**Congrats to TataraD .Aki (I had to add the space in, fanfiction's doc manager does not like me putting your name in :() for being my 150th favorite!**

**And congrats to lahdeedah for being the 60th reviewer!**

* * *

It had taken only a few hours for me to calm down after my one-sided argument with my dad. Mother must have sensed something was up when I refused to associate with my father at dinner; I could tell he wanted me to keep up the happy family act, but I wasn't one for lying like that. Granted, I was a good liar, but I found that it was much easier to lie if you avoid telling big ones. And so, dinner was slightly awkward between the two of us, but I couldn't give two fucks. Fuuta, Lambo, and I-pin made up for the tension as they messed around doing whatever semi-normal kids did. I felt that Lambo had actually done something right for once when he spilled his dessert onto my dad's boxers.

'Why was he still wearing only boxers around the house anyway? Doesn't he feel awkward with the others being around?' I dead panned as I answered my own question. Sawada Iemitsu had no shame after all.

"Ara, you're leaving already, Nakuka?" The pink dishes clanked together as I set them in the sink, nodding to the woman as I turned around.

"Yeah, I'm going to go somewhere now. Is that okay with you?" I ignored how my dad's attention seemed to turn to me, I still haven't forgiven him, and watched as mother's face became inquisitive.

"Oh, are you going to a friend's house? Wow, this is the first time in a while!" She clapped her hands together happily, fully trusting me even though I didn't tell her where exactly I was going. Maybe if I was a better person I actually would have felt bad. "I'm glad you're making friends again. Make sure to bring your friend over sometime, Nakuka!"

My hand brushed back a few locks of hair as I debated on whether or not I should hug the woman. Habitually, I turned away and decided against it at the moment. A quick goodbye to my mother was all I said as I shoved my shoes on and walked out the door.

"Okay, now where was that place again?" I sighed, remembering that I left the directions on my dresser. I didn't feel like walking back in and feeling more uncomfortable with my father being there, so I continued on, hoping that I'd be able to navigate the streets correctly.

"Seriously, how hard is it to find a traditional japanese compound in the suburbs..." I grumbled to myself. "Good thing I'm bad at keeping track of time; I don't even want to know how long I've been at this."

The familiar sound of bamboo hitting rock caught my attention, my feet still as I tried to locate where the sound was coming from. Soon enough, the compounds walls were in sight.

"Finally, being lost in this confusing neighborhood would have sucked." Strangely enough, when I approached the compound, the gates were already open. I warily entered the gates and looked around, unable to spot Kosame.

"Hello?"

"Oh, you've arrived earlier than I thought you would. What seems to be the problem?"

I whirled around, spotting her among some white flowers with a watering can. My hands gripped the edge of my shirt; pausing, I took a second to realize I had to no idea how to proceed.

"Uh, well, I..." My eyes trailed the smooth stones around the shishi-odoshi before they made their way to the woman's face. "You said that I had hidden potential. What do you mean by that?"

"Ah, that?" She gently set the plastic can on the ground before she stood up once again while patting down her kimono. I would have found it odd that she would do menial labor with such a fancy getup on, but I could care less at the moment. "Have you finally made a decision?"

"Are you going to train me?" Kosame blinked her hazel eyes at me, studying me for a second before she adjusted her outfit.

"Not yet, you will not be able to train effectively if you don't calm your anger down."

"I'm _fine_." I bit out. I didn't have time for this, I needed to train and get stronger as fast as I could. Kosame gave me an unconvinced look before she walked over to her shishi-odoshi, gesturing me to come over. Silently, I came over and squatted, staring at the woman as she stared at the contraption.

"Would you like to tell me what it is that has gotten you so angry?" The shishi-odoshi clacked against the rock before the sound of water trickling into the bamboo started again.

"Not really."

**Clack**

"It might help you feel better."

I snorted, but I kept my skeptic thoughts to myself. Silence enveloped us as she patiently waited for me to speak, but I really didn't want to as we basked in the silence.

**Clack...**

**Clack...**

**Clack...**

"It's my dad." An exasperated sigh left me, this woman would wait until the end of the earth for me to give her an answer. My hand pushed back my dark bangs, letting my face feel the breeze as it gently caressed my face. The petal of a white lilly briefly touched my leg before receding and joining the other flowers, making me focus my angry glare at the innocent piece of nature. "He refuses to help me learn how to fight when I should be learning. I'm defenseless and he expects his lackeys to protect us completely. It's stupid, he's in the goddamn mafia! He has to know that it's not full proof; there's always a chance for sabotage or an ambush, but he still refuses to teach me!" My disbelief and anger came back at the memory, leaving me to breathe a little heavier. I didn't even care that I let the the mafia bit slip; judging my her reaction (or lack thereof), she already knew about it or that she would at least keep quiet about it.

"Does he expect me to twiddle my thumbs and wait for the day that I can no longer be protected? Because hell with that!" I snarled in disgust. Honestly, who the fuck does he think I am?! "Even my wimpy brother is training to fight! If he's planning on leaving me as a damsel in distress, then he has another thing coming. They're both in such a big family, does he not realize that we were in danger the moment he was married and had us? He's such a fucking idiot."

I took in deep breaths, honestly feeling worn out. I glanced at the black haired woman, a melancholy look in her eyes distracted me long enough for me to forget my issues and focus on why she was so sorrowful. She gently put a slightly tanned hand to my pale face, making me go still as I stared at her unreadable eyes.

"You really are set on doing this, aren't you?" A strangled smile quivered on her lips before stabilizing. Her eyes strangely hard as we continued to stare each other down "No, your eyes tell me all I need to know. You realize the danger of being involved with something like this, right?"

"I realize that, but at this point, what choice do I have?" A silent sigh made Kosame's shoulders bob, she drew her arms around me. I froze in shock. What was this woman doing? Why was she hugging me?

_She felt bad for me__._

Why? Why did she feel bad for me?

I was brought back as she squeezed me a little tighter. My face pressed against her collar, I opened my mouth to ask why, what came out was vastly different. "Killing doesn't bother me if it is to survive. Death doesn't scare me anyway."

"You strong willed children and your pride, you all will honestly be the death of me one day." I blankly looked at her as she finally let me go and stood up. It vaguely registered in my mind that she was referring to someone else as well, but I let it go. "Very well then, I suppose the least I could do is help you prepare."

I stood up, feeling like I was in a daze as I watched her walk father away from me. "Why are you so reluctant to teach me? You were the one who offered to in the first place."

The woman stood stalk still, not bothering to turn around. "It was just a feeling I had. I just hoped I wasn't right for once."

Kosame's cryptic answer left me with no solutions, but that hardly bothered me as I followed her inside only to stop to take one last glance at the flower garden.

Nothing had changed in the past few minutes, the flowers were still in the same spot. Scarlet flowers creeping behind the white lilies caught my attention, leaving me to wonder whether they had been there during my first visit or if they were freshly planted. I turned away, intent on following the woman inside the sinuous compound.

It's not like it mattered to me what this woman planted in her garden. No, all that mattered was what she would teach me.

~Transition_\\('-')/_Transition~

In short, training was hell. No, it was not just hell, it's like a level below hell. Want to know why? Well, it's because of the fucking whale cd that Kosame kept on repeat, claiming that the first part of training was to meditate.

"Do I really have to do this?" My eyebrow twitched as another whale wailed, no pun intended, not in the mood for one anyway.

"I believe so unless you do not wish for me to train you?" It was a challenge. She's fucking lucky that I needed her or else I would have been out of here the moment this whale bullshit started.

"I wanted to focus on the physical part. _Training. _You know, the thing that you promised to help me with." I wobbled as I shifted my aching foot, almost falling off of the log post in the process. Did I mention I was balancing on top of a log? Because I was, and oh much my feet knew that.

"This is training. It fortifies the mind." At my blank stare, she sighed and clicked the stereo off. I resisted the urge to sigh in relief, glad that the infernal whale calls had stopped.

"Thank God, I would have left if I had to endure another second of that shi- stuff." I censored myself, figuring that cursing in front of an acquaintance was not a very polite thing to do. Kosame seemed to sense that there was a bit of truth behind my words as her hand made its way to her face, cupping her cheek in a slight exasperation.

"As I thought. I'm going to have to put you on the same regime that he has. What a shame, I thought I could have finally had a pupil who would go the more meditative route." At my raised eyebrow, she shook her head as if trying to clear her thoughts. Mumbles of children and brashness fell upon my ears, but I couldn't necessarily make out the mutters as Kosame hit some type of hidden switch. A section of the floor soon gave way, leaving a rather impressive stash of weapons for us to gaze upon.

"Who knew that something like this would be in a house like this. Kinda tacky, though, did you get this from a James Bond film?" The calm woman shot a dirty look at me, making me hold back a smirk. Hey, it takes talent to make someone so calm become annoyed.

"Choose a weapon. We will begin training once you have chosen." I nodded and started to riffle through the collection with my eyes, picking weapons up once in a while in order to inspect them. Once my hand pulled out a fishing pole, I sent a look to the woman.

"You'd be surprised with how well normal items can be used as weapons." The answer didn't convince enough to stake my life on such a flimsy item, instead letting my hands rove over a spear looking item. I carefully lifted it out of the crevice and did some mock swing, testing its weight in my hands. I stood it on its end and inspected the weapon, pleased with how the black and silver design of it made it look especially wicked. If I was going to murder, then it might as well be in style.

"Interesting choice. Do me a favor and click that button, then slide it up." I did as I was told and extended my arms in surprise when the weapon suddenly slackened into three parts, held together by a couple of links of chain, leaving the bladed spear head to come swinging at me. I shot an annoyed look at the woman once I narrowly missed being gutted by my weapon.

"A warning would have been nice." A huff left me as I properly took hold of the now sectioned weapon. The spear was now a nunchuk of sort as it was now in three parts, leaving me curious as to how I would fight with this.

"Is this what you will go with?"

"Mn." The woman sighed once again at my grunt. I was slightly impressed that she was able to understand me through that, but I didn't let that hold me up as I put the weapon back into spear form and rummaged through the pile again. My hands pulled up a metal fan, flicking open and closed before I set it back in its place.

"You're not satisfied with it?" The hand gun that I pulled out was enough of an answer for her.

"I want to train with these." I nodded at the weapons in my hands and on the floor. Kosame eyed my choice, eyes calculating as she folded her hands into her sleeves.

"That's rather surprising. I thought you would have gone with a stranger choice."

"Guns are interesting to me. The spear was nice, but I feel that guns would be more useful. I can just carry a knife with me if I end up in close quarters or just shoot them at point blank if I'm really desperate."

"Oh dear, and here I thought that you would at least be an easier person to deal with then him." I glared.

"What is that suppose to mean."

"Nothing, nothing," the woman elegantly flapped her hand at me, "I suppose we should start with basic training first; you need to at least get into basic shape before you start with your weapons."

And how much I wanted to sigh at that. I knew that I was severely unfit for the amount of physical activity that the mafia would most likely require, or maybe I'm thinking of assassins. Anyway, there's a ton of that.

"Okay, so where do we start?"

"Running." I had to raise my eyebrow at that.

"How mundane. I would have thought that the great teacher would have something more extraordinary planned."

"And I would have thought the bad tempered child would have chosen something more interesting than guns."

"What can I say, I'm full of surprises."

"Yes, yes, no go do two laps around Nanimori."

"Two laps? But that'll take like three hours."

"Then you better start running, no?" I sighed annoyance.

"Can you at least give me a map, I have no idea where to go." Kosame gave me a slight smile as she raised a sleeve to her mouth.

"Bad at directions, are we?" I simply glowered at her as she handed me a map with markings that showed the route I was supposed to take.

"Don't test me, woman."

She simply chuckled at my glower and sent me off, calling out after me as I exited the compound with unmasked amusement in her voice.

"Don't forget to stretch afterwards!"

"Tch." Damn that woman.

~Transition_\\('-')/_Transition~

I was practically dying when I got home. Each breath seemed to burn my lungs and no matter how many times I swallowed, I just couldn't keep the drowning sensation away. It didn't help that I also happened to get lost at some point despite the map and took an extra thirty minutes back on track. By that time I got home, it was nearing midnight. So, I collapsed onto the entryway, prying my shoes off and then pushing myself up to get a glass of water.

The cold water was a relief as I drank, filling up my cup three times before I finally had enough. My breathing was starting to go back to normal when I heard something in the living room. I set my cup in the sink and quietly padded my way into the room and quickly finding the source of the noise.

On the couch was my father, sleeping in his boxers with a book over his face. I frowned when I spotted the title, questioning why he would have a gossip magazine, though I was more curious as to why he was sleeping in the living room instead of his room.

I didn't dwell on it much, though, as I silently made my way upstairs to take a shower. Even though the heat that my body produced still lingered, I knew I would end up taking a warm shower; I never did like the cold.

**Iemitsu's POV (Surprised ya, didn't I?)**

He had been through many battles and has killed more people than he count, or remember at that. All that was surprisingly less nerve wracking than when his daughter said he was going out somewhere. Of course, Nana trusted that she was doing something as innocent as visiting a friend, but he knew that couldn't be the case. Not after the conversation they had before and the fact that she knew about the mafia.

He was tempted to follow her, hell, he could have done it easily, but he was held back as Nana happily presented him a cake with a welcome home message scrawled in chocolate.

"Oh, very lovely, Nana! It's just like you to make something so wonderful!" He cracked a smile at the cheery woman, feeling almost at ease as she smiled happily at him. "You know what, it's so wonderful that we should share it with the whole family. I can grab Nakuka, she couldn't have gone very far."

"Oh, don't be silly, dear. Nakuka is finally having fun with a friend, we should just let her spend some time with them. We can do something as a family later!" He opened his mouth to try and convince her otherwise, but when he saw the look on her face, he decided against it. Nakuka couldn't get in trouble in such a short time, could she?

And so, he spent time with his wife, catching up with her and indulging in the life that he had missed. Two years had been a long time after all and he severely missed this quiet and joyful life. When he first got married to Nana, he felt guilty about disappearing at lengths at a time and it only intensified when he had Tsuna and Nakuka. But soon they all got used to his absences. He realized that there seemed to be a barrier between him and his children, but there wasn't much he could do as the damage has already been done; it would only be cruel of him to try and get close to them only for his duties in CEDEF to take him away once again.

He simply had to satisfy himself with watching them from afar, listening to reports from his men or phone calls from Nana to hear how they were doing. All he could do was send them money and try to protect them from wherever he was; he wanted to keep them happy, unaffected by the death and darkness of the mafia. He could only protest when he heard that his son was a candidate for the Vongola boss position, but there wasn't much he could do about it. Even if he refused to let him a part of it, he would have been targeted and eliminated just for being mentioned as a candidate.

So, just as he done for the past few years, he waited and worried as he sat on the couch with a magazine that Nana had on hand. News on a celebrity accidentally flashing a crowd while getting out of a car and rumors of a divorce could only keep his mind off of his daughter for a brief period. Glancing at the clock every few minutes even after it was lights out and Nana had gone to sleep after Iemitsu told her he had something to do before bed.

His nerves were a mess with every quarter of an hour that passed and finally after about three hours, he heard the door open with the sound of heavy breathing. He didn't need his intuition to tell that it was his daughter and so he slid the magazine on his face, pretending to sleep as he heard the water run. There was a sigh and he would have missed Nakuka if it wasn't for that one squeaky step that told him she was heading upstairs. Soon the magazine was tossed away and he headed towards his bedroom, slipping in next to Nana and giving her head a kiss before he made himself comfortable.

He never said that he was a good father, hell, he sometimes forgot he even had children, but he did worry about his family. Even if they were to hate him and not understand his intentions, he'd still try everything in his power to keep them safe and happy.

**Nakuka's POV**

I felt much more refreshed after I had taken my shower, my legs trembled as I flopped onto my bed. I knew instantly that I would probably not be walking tomorrow. After going through my hygienic routine of the night, I slipped into my bed covers and passed out once my head hit the pillow.

_"Why do you have to act this way? You know what, you need to go to your school counselor and get rid of that attitude problem."_

_"I'm not going to the counselor." I muttered to the older woman, shooting her a cold glare before looking out the car window._

_"You know what. This is the exact reason why I regret having children. You act like a wild child."_

_"Well, once I grow up and get my own job, then I'll make sure to never see you again." I felt the anger boil in my stomach, bitterness plain in the tone of my voice._

_"Good, it'll be better once you're gone." I let the scenery blur as I leaned against the window, refusing to look at the woman who gave birth to me. She was nothing more than that, she could hardly be called a mom._

_"Good, I don't want to see a bitch like you." I muttered under my breath; it went completely past the woman driving the car and once the vehicle came to a stop, I silently slunk to my room and flopped on my bed. "Fucking bitch. I don't give a shit what you think. I don't need you."_

_The silence settled in and my anger slowly faded away as I hugged my cool pillow, imagining how happy I'd be if that bitch was dead._

_"I don't even understand why you would have children if you were just going to hate them in the end. Everything would have been better if I hadn't been born, you would like that, wouldn't you?" My breath shuttered and I buried my face into my pillow, angry at myself for crying again. "Stop being so pathetic! Stop crying!"_

_"Goddamn it..."_

_~Dream Transition~_

_The rain poured and I felt the cold wind prick against my skin through my thin jacket. On any other day, I would have cursed my luck, but I just wasn't in the mood for it. In fact, I was barely in the mood for anything these days. I huddled into myself and drew my legs closer, careful to prop the umbrella between my shoulder and hands so that I did not accidentally hit any bruises or soaked myself to the bone with the cold showers._

_"Got kicked out again?" Lethargically, I nodded as the girl who spoke to me swiped some water off the bench and sat down. "Are you okay?"_

_I glanced at the white haired girl, catching her sullen eyes watching me before shrugging. We both sat in silence, it wasn't uncommon that one of us would go here; there was always something that brought us here, but we always gave each other ample enough time to cry before the other arrives on the scene. It was unspoken agreement that we had with each other, neither of us knew what to do when someone was crying. We simply didn't have the sympathy or social skill to help._

_We were bitter people anyway, but we were fine with that. We had each other and so that was just fine._

_~Dream Transition~_

_"I just want to end this!"_

_"So you're just going to run away?!" My chest heaved as I glared at the girl, the one I would hesitantly call my only friend. How could she? How could she just abandon me like that?_

_"Yes, exactly! I'm going to run away, what does it matter to you anyway?!" Her purple eyes bored into my dull grey ones, both seemingly vivid for once. I gritted my teeth and shook, staring her straight in the eyes as neither of us were willing to back down._

_"Fine, go ahead and jump. Be a coward. I don't need you anyway, I'll be fine by myself!" Something in her eyes flashed, something that I could have prevented if I had only had the mind to do it. Both of us fell into silence for a second, the volatile words that we spewed at each other finally sinking in as we stood in front of that bench. I blinked my eyes and looked away, staring at the gravel before slowly turning around and stalking out of there._

_It wouldn't even be a day before I received the news. The school was closed down as the school district needed to do some cleanup; people tried act respectful and like they were sympathetic, but it was their narcissism that spurred their social media posts. Those same media posts that were filled to the brim with sickening condolences. It left me bitter, angry how they pretended to know who she was and that they were friends when they knew for a fact that they've never spoken a word with each other. Eventually, I was kicked off the computer with a passing comment from mother that it wasn't good for me, fairly considerate of her for once. And so I spent my time blankly staring at my stuccoed ceiling._

_When I had enough of the ceiling, I spent the next few days switching between caffeine and sleeping pills, whichever one I felt like was needed for the day. People asked if I was okay, but what would they know? They couldn't even tell how messed up I was, how messed up we__ were. But I said I was okay. I've always been, because I could take care of myself. I didn't need anyone._

_And those went on for about four days before I took a shaking hand full of pills and then took a nap. In the back of my mind, I knew what I was doing to myself, but I just didn't want to admit it._

_"I'm sorry. I really am a coward, aren't I?" I felt hot tears run down my face, uncomfortably disappearing behind my ears and into my hairline as I stared up at the ceiling. A flash of purple eyes went through my mind as I drifted in and out of consciousness. I woke up a few times, two times in my room and once more in an unfamiliar white one. Then, it all changed when I was in a pink one. Yes, that's when it all changed._

_~Dream Sequence End~_

My eyes flashed open as I laid in my bed, my lungs heaving as I felt the wetness around my eyes. I simply laid there as I got ahold of my bearing and finally pushed myself upwards, ignoring the soreness of my muscles as I did so. My legs dangled off the edge of the bed as I hung my head, blankly staring at my bedroom floor in between my legs.

'Didn't think I'd remember.' I slowly inhaled and got off the bed, going about my business in a hazy state. My previous anger towards my dad had faded, though I was still upset with his decision. I shuffled through my clothes, finding something to wear before my hands pulled out an object I had stored in one of my coat pockets.

The simple black hand gun seemed to absorb any light that hit is. The chambers were empty as of right now, but I knew they wouldn't be in the future.

"Well, it doesn't matter now." And so I pocket the gun in my school bag so that it would have less of a change of being discovered before I could go to Kosame's today. I glanced once more into the room and stared at the pink walls. I stood in the doorway before finally deciding to do something nice for someone today.

Yes. That's what I'll do. I'll do something nice.

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

**So, I decided to give Nakuka guns. Surprising? I was really tempted to take the suggestions of some of you guys (thanks for those by the way), but then I came to realize how underused guns were in this anime and how awesome they were. Pretty much all OC and Cannon characters I have seen had some type of special weapon, I felt that giving Nakuka something more normal would be for the best. In fact, that's part of the reason why this chapter came out so late, I was stuck on what to do next and how to progress on some things.**

**Anyway, don't worry, there will still be some surprises that will involve fighting, weapons, and such.**

**Also, sorry for the cliche-ness, but I really do like taking cliche things and putting them in my story. I like seeing where I can take it and if I can at least make it acceptable and interesting. On a side note, depression and abuse sucks. So, don't treat people like how Nakuka treated her friend, that's bad, 'kay? Being in a situation like that is hard and there's really no easy solution, you just have to let the person know it's not their fault and be their shoulder to cry on.**

_**10th Squad 3rd Seat:**_** I'm glad you liked the chapter (at least it seemed like you did). Yeah, Iemitsu was being a bit irrational, wasn't he?**

_**Mitsu21:**_** I'm glad you thought she was badass. Though, I personally view her as a rebellious child who was upset with daddy, we'll have to wait for a little before she truly becomes badass; it runs in the family after all. :P**

_**Dustflame:**_** Thanks for the suggestion and btw, I love those characters. They are all appealing in their own ways. :)**

_**Nyasararu:**_** Wow, I can practically feel the hate/frustration with the mention of Iemitsu. You okay there, buddy?**

_**lahdeedah: **_**Hah, I expect a lot of people to pair her up with Hibari. I'm not annoyed, though, I like how badass he is.**

_**Tziphora:**_** You don't know how close I came to putting that as her weapon. Ugh, it was so tempting! And I'm sure they will realize how her decision was for the best in the long run. ^_^ Hopefully... I don't know, I can pretty sadistic with my characters. I'll try not to fuck with the characters too much! And holy batman, dude! I just realized you're the author of "Ghost Hunt: Death's Witness". Love your work btw, I love it when I see authors in different fandoms.**

_**Ninazu:**_** Looks like I unintentionally went with your weapon, uh... congratulations? And thank you very much, I'm sure I'll PM you before this chapter is out, so hopefully it answers some of your questions. But uh, her past has been revealed, so yay?**

_**KisaragiMarru:**_** Thank you for saying so. She isn't a very nice character, is she? And here's your next update! :P**

_**Eion1783:**_** Yay! She's different; she's a special little snowflake, isn't she? Truthfully, I'm glad you (and others) find Nakuka a fresh character to read about, it makes me happy. :) And Hamu is a boy, just to let you know.**

_**Marion:**_** Merci pour ton review! Excuse-moi, je ne parle pas français beaucoup. J'apprends français dans l'ecole, donc je connais français un peu. Anyway, thanks again for reading my story. I was very surprised to see a french review; I was very fortunate to understand it at the very least. ^_^**

_**Alex:**_** I will continue. Btw, I'm a chick, but I like the word sir, so keep calling me that if you like. :)**

_**Viviene001: **_**That's pretty true. Nakuka doesn't like being pushed around, so this was inevitable. And Thank you for liking her attitude, that makes me happy to hear. Here's your update!**

Okay, to be truthful, I'm actually surprised with the amount of hate for Iemitsu. I don't particularly care for him, but I'm actually surprised at how strongly you feel about him. It was actually pretty funny to read some of your comments.

Also, I'm surprised that some of you haven't mentioned the character that's been vaguely hinted at. I wonder if you guys will ever mention him before I reveal who it is~

**Question: Who is your favorite KHR character? Which character do you hate the most?**

**See you next time~**


	12. Godson? More like Demon Child

**I can't believe how fast this story has grown. Thanks to all of you readers out there, we're almost to 300 followers and 200 favorites!**

**So, congratulations to Knockoutroundabout for being the 250th follower and "Guest" for being the 70th reviewer!**

**Okay, so here's a quick chapter. I may have another up very soon since it's a four day weekend, but no promises. But here's another chapter, so enjoy!**

* * *

"Buongiorno..." A tired mutter escaped my mouth as I scanned the little book with my eyes. It had been about three months since the whole rings debacle and Kosame had been running me through the ringers. I barely spent any time at home anymore as I trained with her, sometimes staying overnight because of how tired I was at the end of the day. Dad had left once the whole thing was over, neither of us speaking with each other up until the end. Honestly, I was a bit disappointed and put off about the whole thing; you'd think that the man would come to senses and think about why I was upset in the first place. If not that, then he should have at least tried to make up with me. I mean, that's what normal fathers do, right? They usually can't stand the thought of their daughters being upset with them, right? I guess it doesn't apply to all fathers, it certainly didn't apply to my past self's spineless father when I was angry that he wouldn't do anything to stop that bitch just because he was married to her. Keep the peace my ass, he was just a coward who didn't want to get dragged into the conflict between his wife and daughter.

But enough of that, the past is useless to me. I can't change it so what's the point in getting worked up about it? So back the the little orange book in my hand, Kosame had me pick up Italian as second language. She wanted me to learn English, too, saying that it is the language of business and that the mafia was no different. She was pleasantly surprised to know that I already knew it, thought I didn't explain how I knew it. Not many people would believe it was my mother tongue in a past life, would they? Anyway, other than that, she's just been training me on the basics: how to handle and clean a gun, strengthening every muscle in the body, and hand to hand combat. I appreciated the extra coursework that she had for me, I preferred things move at a fast pace; I was a fast learner anyway, so this arrangement suited me fine.

"Well, it's been a while since you've been to school. Where have you been?" I blinked at the voice and looked up, spotting the raspberry eyed female that I honestly forgot existed.

"Tanpopo." I sent her a blank look as I closed the book with a satisfying slap, letting Hamu run down my arm and onto the desk as I did so. A surprised look flashed through her eyes as she eyed the rodent.

"You brought a hamster to school?"

"Well, if my eyes are still seeing clearly, then I'd have to say yes. I see you haven't stopped asking your rhetorical questions, Tanpopo. Glad to see that part of you hasn't changed."

Her face colored, complementing her eye color and hair. She almost looked like a summer themed color palette. She quickly coughed into her fist and took on a more pensive look as her eyes flickered to the cover of the book.

"You're learning Italian, huh? Is there a reason behind it?" I shrugged as picked up the item, careful to balance it as Hamu was on top of it.

"You could say that." She was silent for a second, something seemed to be on her mind as her eyes darkened for a second before they landed back on the hamster.

"Uh, I don't think Hibari-san would be okay with you bringing an animal to school."

"I'm sure he'll be okay with Hamu."

"Hamu, huh? Well, he is pretty cute." She reached a finger out to pet Hamu, but he quickly turned around and shook his furry behind at her. Her face colored in embarrassment and didn't even react as Hamu retreated back to my shoulder.

"Hamu, you should do that. It's pretty rude, you know." I monotonously scolded the hamster, clearly not caring that he practically insulted Tanpopo. In fact, we both slyly look over at the blonde watching her eye twitch as she took a step back in alarm.

"Y-You two-!"

"What's the matter, Tane~ A little hamster isn't getting the best of you, is he?" She seemed to gulp, eyes switching between Hamu and I nervously as she let out a shaky smirk. A smirk that lacked the same intent as ours.

"O-Of course not! Aha~ who would be scared by the likes of you?"

"Well now..." I let a deep chuckle out as I smiled. "I never said anything about being scared, now did I?"

"Herbivore." My, admittedly, evil smile dropped as I looked to the door, spotting a familiar raven haired boy standing there menacingly. A small sigh escaped me as I gathered my belongings, knowing that he wanted me to follow him just by the way he stood.

"Well, it was fun, Tanpopo, but I need to go or the beast will get cranky." I caught the narrowing of the boy's eyes before I felt a hand clamp over my wrist. I admit, a brief feeling of surprise flitted through me as I turned to face the person.

"Hey, be careful." I blinked in curiosity, eyeing the hand before flicking my gaze up to Tanpopo's serious face.

"What for?" Her eyes narrowed in frustration, her body language telling me that she was now being cautious with what she said. Her body straightened up and she let my wrist drop, but her eyes stayed locked to me.

"Just don't bring attention to yourself." I stared at her, not moving from my spot before Hamu's nudge against my cheek got me back into motion.

"I'll try not to." A nod to the blonde seemed to satiate her a bit as she watched the two of us leave the room. I closed the door behind me and soon I was walking down the hall with the demon of Namimori. We both stayed silent and I watched as some students ducked into classrooms while other peeked at us, careful not to be caught. Neither of us took the moment to tell them we knew that they were there as we headed to the recreational room that the demon claimed as his layer.

"So, what's with the sudden summoning, Kyoya? Having trouble with keeping that ring of yours hidden so that you wouldn't be grouped with those 'herbivores'?" I saw his hand twitch, most likely from the instinct of bashing anyone who called him by his first name. Though, I'd bank on the theory that he wanted to bash my face in for that second comment. So I stayed silent and blankly watched as turned a sharp eye to me, eyeing me in a way that would most likely make others squirm.

"Did you bring it?" I raised an eyebrow, but dipped my hand into my bag nonetheless, pulling out a black hand gun as I did so.

"She did say to make it a habit to bring it with me everywhere I go, though I'm going to have to find a better way to conceal it." The very next second, I soon found myself bracing the gun against Kyoya's tonfa, glaring at him bemusedly as I frowned.

"Seriously? You're going to damage my gun!" I pushed harder against his weapon, feeling myself at a disadvantage since he was pushing downwards while I had to push upwards and the fact that he was insanely strong. It didn't help that Kosame trained him most of his life.

"I should punish you for bringing a weapon to school, herbivore."

"You already know that she told me to bring it. Besides, she wants us to get along, so why don't you cut it out!" I pushed against him, causing the two of us to disengage. He obviously didn't want to back down, but I suppose the mentioning of his beloved godmother kept him from lashing out again. I sighed and inspected the gun, glad that there wasn't any real damage as I inspected it.

"Geez, you really need to stop attacking me outside of training." I shoved the last book into my fallen bag before I looked up at him again. "And the name's Nakuka, not herbivore. Honestly, Kosame wasn't kidding when she said you are obsessed with the animal hierarchy."

"Don't tell me what to do, herbivore." I sent him a bland look as I huffed.

"Honestly, you're like a petulant child. But disregarding that, why did you bring me here? It can't be training, unless she's back from her trip already?" I raised an eyebrow inquisitively. At the shift of the light in his eyes, I knew that she was back.

'Strange, I thought she said that it would take at least two month before she got back.'

"Hmph, so I guess we'll be training after school, huh?" I stretched my arms out before I gently took a seat on the couch, Kyoya joining me as he sat at his desk. "That's good, I was getting bored of shooting at stationary targets. At this point, I don't even need to look at them in order to shoot them correctly, not even when I use my other hand." I danged my legs off the side of the couch, glancing at the room's other occupant out of the corner of my eye. "I suppose you're just happy to see Kosame again, right?"

He sent me glare before he brandished his tonfas threateningly, letting it gleam in the sunlight that streamed through the window. "Be quiet before I bite you to death."

A huff escaped me, but I didn't push any further as I fell back onto the cushions, thinking about how I got to know such an unlikable guy.

_Flashback!\\('-')/Flashback!_

_"You did well today, Nakuka. You must be tired after such extensive training."_ _She folded her arms back into her kimono sleeves, somehow not a single bead of sweat had made its way onto her body. Meanwhile, I felt like my lungs and heart were going to give out on me. So, I didn't grace her with a response, choosing to focus on breathing so that I don't pass out on the spot. "Yes well, you seem to be doing well for yourself right now. Why don't you go take a shower and clean yourself up? My godson should be over soon, I'll introduce you then."_

_I wordlessly nodded as my heart started to calm itself. It was a good thing we did some cardiovascular training, or it would have taken much longer to get my breath back. It left me slightly amazed that she was even thinking about the heart when she said we'd be training every muscle in my body. And so I shuffled off to the bathroom, careful to not overexert myself as I made my way down the long corridor. I was soon under the calming water of the shower head, washing all of the dirt and sweat I had accumulated within the past few hours with Kosame (well, kind of, she never got a speck of dirt on her kimono)._

_A longing in my chest demanded that I stayed in that bathroom and enjoyed the full amenities, but I forced myself out. A special little meeting with Kosame's godson was scheduled to happen after my shower, after all. And so, I toweled myself off in the bathroom, glad that I had made it a habit to leave fresh clothes over at the compound. It certainly beats running all the way back home to shower and change. Kosame didn't mind me using her house anyway, claiming it was too big for her alone, so that's why she often invites family and friends over. I hadn't seen any of these "family" and "friends" that she spoke of, but I didn't let that bother me as I finished toweling off. I pulled on my panties and was in the process of putting on a bra when I heard the door opening, making me snap around to look at the intruder. My eyes met a striking pair of silver eyes that shined with a bit of hint of blue in them, now I didn't take too long admiring this newcomer as I snapped my arms around my exposed chest. Turning away, I heard the door slam, making me sigh before I went back to getting dressed._

_I almost didn't want to leave that bathroom, but I knew that I had to leave eventually. So with a foreboding feeling, I pushed my way through the hallways and to the living room where a certain silver eyed person sat._

_"Oh, Nakuka. I assume the shower was a pleasant one? This is my godson, Hibari Kyoya." She smiled gently, an unspeakable fondness in her hazel eyes told me how much this kid meant to her._

_'Huh, so this is what he looks like.' I thought, remembering the deep, irritated voice that I heard back in Kokuyo Land. I realized I was staring at him, though, so I smoothly turned my head away from him as he did the same to me. Kosame was a sharp one, though, and quickly noticed the slightly awkward and stagnant air between us._

_"Now, you two, let's get along here. I want my student and godson to get along nicely." We both grudgingly turned to each other, but we continued to glare at the floorboards at each other's feet. "Did something happen between you two?"_

_"... you could say something like that." Hibari grunted in agreement, neither of us speaking exactly it was that we were keeping from her. I was not that we were embarrassed, no I think I can say that for sure. It's just that-_

_"So, how was that shower, Nakuka?" My eyes narrowed a bit more at the tone of her voice. Don't you start, woman. "Oh, you didn't happen to go to the third hallway's bathroom, did you, Kyoya?" At the silence, Kosame seemed to gain a glint in her eye, pulling out a fan and covering the lower half of her face. "Oh, so I suppose you saw more than what you should have, Kyoya. Is today the day you become an official man?"_

_We both twitched. It's just that we knew this woman would use this against us and tease us about it._

_"That's not how it works." I mutter under my breath. Even though the rumors that I've heard from Tanpopo painted Hibari Kyoya as an antisocial demon, he seemed anything but as he quietly sat next to me, glaring at the table in front of us._

_"Oh, is that so? Well, in more modest times, seeing a woman undressed was only for the husband to see on their wedding night. I suppose that means that you two would have to get married since my dear Kyoya has taken the title of being the first person for you to bare yourself for."_

_"It wasn't for **him**. It wasn't for anyone, it was a mistake. And I'm not marrying anyone, something a constraining as marriage is not something I'm interested in."_

_"Well, you say this now, but a mature woman as myself knows that you will one day find someone that you wouldn't mind spending the rest of your life with." A thoughtful look danced in her eyes as she snapped the fan closed in her hand. "I suppose if Kyoya won't take you, then I'm sure you can get together with Takeshi. He seems to like you well enough."_

_"Enough of this. Are you going to keep playing match maker or are you going get on with this?" Spending almost a month with this woman on a constant basis has quickly got me accustomed with her mannerisms, so I didn't miss the amused glimpse in her eyes._

_"Very well, but promise me one thing, you two. Treat each other nicely, no attacking each other outside of training."_

_"Mn." We had no choice but to grudgingly agree. Who knew what this woman would do if we didn't. In that instance, I spotted Hamu wiggling behind Kosame. A vein bulged on my forehead and the corner of my mouth twitched._

_'I will fucking kill that hamster."_

_End Flashback Transition\\('-')/ End Flashback Transition_

I sighed silently, my arm covering my eyes as I laid on the couch. My jaw twitched as I felt a slight heat under my collar at the memory. Fucking hell, that woman really knows how to get on my nerves.

"Fuck!" I ripped my arm away from my face and glared at the raven haired boy as he lowered the offending arm, not bothering to hide the tonfa he just used to ram into my stomach.

"Don't use such course language in the premise of Namimori."

"Then don't fucking hit me!" I snapped at the nonplussed teen, able to hear the smugness behind his tone. Nevertheless, I climbed off of the couch and slung my book bag onto my shoulder, ready to try and beat the tar out of the fucker during training. Well, not quite, I'm more of a speed fighter while he was strength, not that his speed was anything to scoff at; it wasn't, really, it's almost terrifying to see how fast he is the first time. Every single spar session we had ended with both of us with bruises, most of them belonging to me, but I say that's expected since he has years of experience on me.

"Right. Let's get going, then."

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

**Observer-chan: You could say that. Nakuka never really had a problem with him until he revealed why he wouldn't teach her. It's a bit of a troublesome situation, isn't it? Poor Nana doesn't even know her kids have a thing against their dad. :')**

**Hourai: Self insert stories are my thing, too. I basically only write self insert stories, anyway; I don't know, I just find them a lot more interesting when done right. I like seeing what people do differently in their stories. Thanks for liking my story, I'm quite fond of this one myself. I too like Belphegor, but I like a lot of character, so...**

**Guest: Funny you would say that. I have considered flames being used as bullets, but that's kind of a standard things with gun users since Reborn, Xanxus, and Colonello use their flames. I'm not too sure what I'm going to do in the future, though (well, that's kind of a lie, but alright), so we'll just have to wait and see.**

**Dustflame: Congratulations on guessing right! But you know, it probably would have been cooler if Byakuran was Kosame's godson. And yes, Birds is one icky character.**

**Caterina: Mammon/Viper is pretty cool. I especially like the symbolism of his/her name, seeing as Mammon is one of the seven princes of hell and is the personification of greed. It's pretty interesting stuff.**

**Singular Poisonous Ashes: That's a good response. I like characters when they're being cool and badass, it's very exciting. And I'm very glad Nakuka's one of your top 10 favorite OCs, I'm pretty fond of her myself. If only she was less of a butt, though, then she'd actually make some friends. T_T**

**10th Squad 3rd Seat: Oh, you're fine. I didn't interpret you not liking Iemitsu as you not liking the chapter. You know, for now she'll stick with one gun and then probably to two guns in the future. She's still a novice, so she'll have to work her way up before that happens. And yes, Natsu counts. ^_^**

**Nyasararu: I get you, at least you hate my interpretation of him because of his reasoning. I can respect that. I'm guessing that POV part of his sent you through a loop, huh? And you know what, I'll make up for it. I'll be giving someone the tessen, so don't fret your pretty head. :) And yeah, pretty stupid logic if I have to say so myself; If I was an underhanded enemy, the first people I'd go for would be Haru and Kyoko.**

**Viviene001: I updated! Well, at least you can sympathize him, that's all I can ask for. :)**

**C.N.D: Hehe, they do have some similarities, don't they? It's actually a bit scary. You do, don't you? Well, if it does go the way that I think it's going, then at some point, shit's really going to hit the fan. Exciting, ain't it? ;)**

**Also, I'm really happy to see some familiar reviewers. I really like seeing what you guys think and it really makes me want to make more chapter. ^_^**

**Question: What is your favorite Self Insert/ OC fanfic in the KHR fandom?**

**Answer: Mine would most likely be _Heavenly Judgement_ by Colbub or _Kyoko_ by Discoabc, though _The Truth of the Sky_ by LeoInuyuka was pretty good, too. I don't know, there's so many to choose from!**


	13. Wilted Flowers

**Congrats to maiabyte for being the 80th reviewer! And congrats to Wicken25 for being the 90th reviewer!**

**Congratulations to Countenance for being the 200th favorite!**

**So, sorry it took so long to get this chapter out. Things kept pushing it back and just last week, one of my classmates died so that kinda put off my willingness to write something. It's a bit awkward because I didn't go to his funeral since I'd have to skip the last few hours of school and I just can't afford to miss any more of it.**

**But putting that sad news aside, let's get this story started!**

* * *

"Hah!" I let out a hiss of air as solid metal smacked against my arm. I quickly shot at Kyoya with the paintballs loaded in my gun. He quickly came at me, swinging at my head as I ducked underneath it. His tonfa clipped my side as I quickly rolled to the side, frowning as I tossed the gun aside. The muzzle was shot anyway, Kyoya managed to bash his tonfa into it. So, I lashed my leg out, only to be blocked and pushed away.

We traded blows and we were constantly blocking each other's attacks since I decided to take the damaged gun back up, deciding to use it as a bludgeon instead of its intended purpose.

"That's enough, children." We both paused, both of our arms reeled back to strike the other. I relaxed for a moment before I pushed myself from the ground and stood; I wiped the blood from the corner of my mouth and stared at it with a frown. Damn, looks like I'll be avoiding fruit juices for a while. I sighed in annoyance as I ran my tongue against the cut in my mouth, glancing at Kosame as I did so. The midday sun illuminated the stray strands of her otherwise immaculate hair, not to mention making me feel like the rather pleasant day was instead a billion degrees outside. Kosame didn't seem to notice the heat or the glare the sun must have been casting in her eyes as she presented herself to us on the veranda of her home. We both stood at attention and eyed the woman, something deep down telling us that something was off.

"What's the problem, we could have gone further."

"I think you two are ready now." I narrowed my eyes warily as I eyed her face, something about her eyes put me off as I squirmed for a bit before settling down. Glancing at Kyoya, I saw that he had an intrigued glint to his eyes; I instantly knew that he was thinking the same thing as me. "The two of you have been training for a while and with Kyoya's short range and your long range weapons, you two would be able an unstoppable force."

"But I've only been training for a few month. Kyoya may have been at it for years, but I wouldn't last long with the amount of training I've had." Her eyes seemed to flash, causing me to tense up slightly; I was vaguely aware of Hamu as his hackles raised for some odd reason. I myself was feeling a bit nervous, but I attributed that to the impending danger of being sent to battle.

"You have intuition, Nakuka. You have what most people have to work for to obtain; it runs in your blood and it'll help to keep you alive. Besides, I've watched you train; you're a fast learner and with Kyoya, you'll be fine. Or," she closed her eyes and sent a sly smile at me. "Is it that you're worried about, Kyoya? How sweet of you, Nakuka."

"Mn." I hummed, not rising to the bait that Kosame had presented me; I just wasn't up to it at the moment. With the shake of my head, I cleared my thoughts and looked up at the woman. "So, when do we ship out?"

She simply smiled.

* * *

This couldn't have gone any worse. Not only had Kosame sent me on a suicide mission, but she also paired me up with one of the most stubborn person ever to live. I get it, I'm more of a lone rider myself, but constantly ignoring me in the heat of battle is getting on my nerves. I've almost been impaled twice by random knives because Kyoya refused to heed any of my words.

"Fuck." I winced as I shot into a man, blood splashed onto my face and dripped uncomfortably down my cheek as I switched my handgun out for a submachine gun. At this point, I was by myself since I had lost track of Kyoya. Well, it was more like he ran off to quench his blood thirst, caving skulls and rib cages in with each blow or simply using those hidden spikes of his to impale others. I'll have to admit, though, he is efficient.

"Damnit!" A curse flew out of my mouth along with the air I had in my lungs as I flew back at the kick of an older man. I coughed and sputtered, but managed to send a knife into my assailant's leg; he cursed as his shot missed and yanked the knife out. Despite my lack of breath, I managed to aim a shot into his head and watched as he fell in front of me. My chest heaved as I looked around, taking cover behind some fallen debris as I did so.

I felt tense, something telling me that I wasn't out of the woods yet. And I was right.

Quickly rolling away, bullet holes appeared in the concrete that I was just in front of. My hands aimed towards the direction the shots came from before my eyes even processed who it was, my fingers tensed as I started to pull the trigger, but the adrenaline died down a bit and I was able to make out the scene in front of me.

A trickle of sweat went down my temple, my breathing heavy as I looked up at Kyoya and the dead body next to him. Blinking belatedly, my eyes lingered on him before it went to the bloody wound at my side; with trembling hands, I pressed against it, watching as blood seeped between my fingers.

'It's only a flesh wound.' Ruby red liquid was pulled to the ground by gravity, making the dirt under me turn a shade of dirty scarlet.

"Get up, Herbivore." Silently, I steely stared up at the older boy, baring my teeth at him while snarling.

"And where the fuck were you?"

"Hn. I was doing what we came here for." The tonfa in his hand gleamed, almost like it was reflecting its owner's satisfaction with the many opponents he fought today.

"Kosame said to work together. I could have died thanks to you." At this point, I felt moody and irritated, but that may have been the blood loss speaking for me. "Don't risk my life just because you want to run off and play lone wolf."

"Don't speak to me that way, herbivore." I immediately spun, practically coming nose to nose with the black haired teen.

"Or what?" We glared at each other. "You're going kill me? Go fucking ahead, I won't go down with a fight."

"Oh? Careful, herbivore. Don't tempt me." I was keenly aware of the tonfa that was digging into my side. Suppressing the urge to wince, I stared right back at him as he smirked darkly at me; bastard, he knew this hurts.

"I'd be careful if I were you too, Kyoya."

We stood there in a stalemate, weapons pressed against each other before a squeak broke up the tense atmosphere.

"Hamu..." Normally, I would have been completely against bringing any animals into a fighting zone, especially not one as small as Hamu, but Hamu wouldn't let me leave him in that cramped italian hotel room that I shared with Hibari. "Where'd you get this?"

I blinked and pinched the pill that Hamu had given me between my fingers, observing it only to see no markings or serial numbers. I briefly glanced at the orange and white creature, watching as he motioned with tiny arms towards his mouth; deciding to just go with the flow, I shoved the pill in and swallowed it dry, seeing as there wasn't any water around to go along with it. Hamu scurried along and I watched as he crawled up Hibari, doing the same as he did to me.

He glared obstinately at the white pill, leaving me to sigh in annoyance.

"Just take the damn pill." His teeth clenched as he glared harder, but I could hardly care to deal with his petulant attitude. If he wanted to beat me up, then I'll just have to bring up him abandoning me in the middle of battle. Nonetheless, he also took the unknown pill, nodding stiffly to the dual colored hamster before he scuttled off of the boy.

"Mn. I don't know what that was, but I feel a lot better now." Commenting half to myself and half to Kyoya, I slung my rather burdensome sniper rifle and slung it over my shoulder. "Well, we should get going. I don't really want to stick around for the clean up crew."

I didn't bother mentioning how we had already wasted quite a bit of time while we were threatening each other, I knew that he already knew as well as I did. It seemed the world just loved to fuck me over, though, as I spotted a few men scouting out the carnage. Pulling a rather resistant teen with me, I managed to hide us in time as they looked over to where we were before they walked to a different section. A sigh racked through my system, leaving a ping of pain to run through me to remind me of the numbed wound; I glared at the leafy foliage in front of me.

"Fucking hell."

~Transition_\\('-')/_Transition~

"Oh, you two are back. How was the trip?"

I moved past the woman, ignoring the tingling in the pit of my stomach as I tossed my belonging to the floor. "Fantastic. I just got grazed by a bullet wound and kicked around a million times." I turned an accusatory eye at her. "Why didn't you tell me there that many there? We could have died if I hadn't decided to scout out the situation first."

"Well, you are developing quite nicely, then. You're starting to think how a mafioso thinks. Even when you think you've got a situation handled, always act like you don't."

An indignant huff left when as I registered Kyoya coming into the room, but I pushed it to the back of my mind. "So, you're just going to throw us into danger like that? What happened to all that reluctance when we first started training?"

Everything seemed to still as the words left me. Even Hibari and I froze as we stared up at the woman, my anger leaving me in one fell swoop. The setting sun's yellow-orange light flooded the room, but it only added to the shadows that seemed to stretch across Kosame's face. It suddenly occurred to me that the birds were no longer chirping their evening tunes, nor was the wind softly blowing through the meticulously cared for garden.

"This is what you signed up for, Nakuka. You said you were ready for this, I'm just showing you what the mafia is really about." A smile came across her face, but her eyes seemed to betray her as she stared at my wide eyes.

"Now, you and Kyoya should run along now. You two have school tomorrow and I wouldn't want either of you missing one bit of it."

"Uh-Ah..." I nodded stiffly as we were dismissed, silently stepping outside in the waning rays of sunlight with Hibari. Neither of us made a sound as we exited the compound, I kept my head down as I walked along in my daze, eventually realizing that Kyoya and I had split paths quite a while ago.

It wasn't until that I was home and pressed against my bed covers that I realized that I forgotten to properly put my gun away. Heaving myself up, I removed the weapon from my waistband and shoved it into a small safe located in the drawer of my side table. The silence took over as I flopped back onto my bed and hugged a pillow to my chest, blankly staring at my headboard as I thought about what I had just done in the past few days.

"I really did it, huh? If only he could see me now." Despite the fact that I had done exactly what I told my father I would do, I couldn't find it in myself to feel good about it. At the same time, though, I don't feel bad about the lives I have taken. I rolled onto my stomach, resting my chin on the bed as I looked at Hamu.

"Does that make me a bad person? I mean, I don't feel bad about doing it." The hamster didn't give me much response, instead he curled up into a ball of fur like he was about to take a nap. "Yeah, I guess there's no use in worrying. Killed or be killed."

And so I followed Hamu's role, throwing a fleece blanket over myself and curling up to go to sleep.

"Shit, I have homework due tomorrow."

~Transition_\\('-')/_Transition~

"What the hell, why did we have to have a pop quiz today?" I groaned as I laid my head against the cool desk. I didn't even mind the fact that grimy hands of other middle schoolers were probably on this desk at some point. Seriously, it's super gross; all those nasty, dirty hands on my desk. This is why I'm glad that handshaking is not a common practice in Japan. Well, there's that and there's the fact that people touching me is not a thing I like.

With an agitated sigh, I lifted my head again and glared at the small group of older kids. They were laughing obnoxiously loud, too loud for my taste, and their laugh faded away as they quickly noticed my staring. Once I was sure they were all paying attention, I tried to tell them to be quiet as nice as possible.

"Shut. the. fuck. up."

I lied, I feel like I ran a marathon without sleeping for three days. There was no patience to give to anyone since I was in pain and I was tired from doing all my homework last night.

"You sure did a number on them."

"Hn."

Tanpopo watched as their cowed classmates retreated to another corner of the classroom, not wanting to be in Nakuka's line of sight. Her eyes quickly came to my face as her hand came up to point at her own cheek.

"How'd you get that?"

I let out a tired sigh to buy myself some time. What was I suppose to tell her? "Why do you care?"

She let out a shrug, but kept her oddly colored eyes on me. Subconsciously, I sat up straighter as she continued to gaze at me, but I wasn't willing to break the silence or the sudden staring contest. She finally closed her eyes with a sigh, exasperation coloring her features as she held a hand to her head.

"You really don't like making this easy for me, do you?"

"I do things how I like."

"Yeah, I got that. That's one thing that makes me wary." I raised an eyebrow, silently questioning why it would make her wary. A sudden chill ran down my spine, forcing me to shift in my chair uncomfortably as I swept my eyes around the room. Just what the hell was that?

With a quick glance towards Tanpopo, I caught how she nervously glanced around the room before she quickly maintained her previous posture and caught my eyes. She wrung her hands together before they went to twist the ring on her finger.

"Listen just, ah- just be careful. And- um..." She seemed unsure for a second before she reluctantly pulled a pouch out and slid it to me. "Here. Make sure to keep it with you as much as you can."

The silence that she left me in seemed almost deadly still before I decided to open the drawstring of the pouch, watching as a silver chain tumbled out with a small pendant with a black gem looped through it. I glance at it before looking back at the blonde, but she seemed adamant in not explaining anything, so I simply pocketed the jewelry without any further questions. If she wants to be weird and cryptic, then I'll play along for now.

Because I knew eventually, it will all be revealed to me whether she wants it to or not.

~Transition_\\('-')/_Transition~

The school day seemed to fly by for Nakuka, strangely enough. Recently she found it harder to make the day go by quicker since her recent habits of being vigilant of her surroundings makes her all too aware of how slowly time ticks by; she could no longer space out too much due to her recent emergence into the mafia world. So when the final bell rang, she managed to do her classroom duties quickly before heading out to Kosame's home. A few times she wondered if she missed the street that she was suppose to turn on, but the buddha statue past the closed gates of one of the houses told her that she was on the right track; honestly, navigation was never one of her strong points, but she can get along fine if she had visuals to guide her way. Strangely enough, she had grown accustomed to meeting Hibari some point during her walk there, but this time she was relieved of the moody teen since she heard through the grapevine that he was busy with his disciplinary committee.

Silently, she treaded through the gates of the compound, making sure to shut it completely before she walked into the clearing. The intrusive sound of the shishi-odoshi reached her ears, making her remember Kosame's little speech about it. A small frown of exasperation tugged on her lips as she murmured to herself, crouching down before twisting herself so that she could sit on the small rocks lining the garden.

"Huh, why does she even need it? She has a gate surrounding her house."

Almost absentmindedly, she reached for the nearest white flower and rubbed the soft petal between her thumb and index finger. Immediate thoughts of how the plants look a little wilted flashed through her mind before she stood up, calling for the woman whom trained her for the past few months.

"There you are. Why didn't you answer me the first time I called your name?" The black haired woman glanced at her in thought, calmly sitting on her calves while she sipped on some tea, not deeming her with an answer as she took another sip. The steam from the cup made Nakuka wonder how she could stand to drink it when she was in such a heavy kimono during the summer, but she casted off the thought when she glanced back into the gardens. "Anyway, have you been watering the garden? It looks like the flowers are dying. Well, I guess not all of them. Did you plant those red ones?"

"Hm? No, I didn't. It seems that they decided to take residence without permission, though I suppose I have become quite fond of them."

A frown marred Nakuka's face as she sent her teacher a questioning look. "But it's killing the other flowers, right? Then why don't you move them to another part of the garden. You seemed to really like those white ones."

"Hn, I suppose I did." Nakuka found herself starring at the woman's face as a small smile graced her lips, something about the scene made her captive as she watched her every moves. "But sometimes people need to give away to change, whether it's for better or for worse."

"... You know, you say some really ominous things sometimes."

"Maybe so, but we should focus on more important matter, yes?"

"What do you have in mind?" She questioned as she crossed her legs and sat on the cushions set in front of the low table. She watched as Kosame pulled out a small leather box that looked like it had seen better days, she briefly saw an insignia of some sort, but it quickly slipped her mind when the box was opened to her.

"A ring?" The piece of jewelry was slipped over to her, Nakuka's hands gingerly took the box and examined the ring, tilting it in the afternoon light and watching as the dark red stone caught it, changing it into a deeper red that revealed an insignia in the center. Silver triangles surrounded the round stone, resembling a sun that an elementary schooler would draw, only more sharper and sinister. She finally pinched the ring between her fingers, examining it before she switched her gaze from it to Kosame. Her silent question was answered by the woman as she sat the ring back in its slot among the faded silk.

"You have heard of flames, yes?" The memory of an orange flame flickering on her brother's head popped in her mind as she nodded. "Yes well, there are different types of these dying will flames, each with different properties and abilities."

"Like Tsunayoshi's orange flame and Basil's blue one. Reborn has told me the basics before."

"Yes, exactly that. Not much is known about these flames, though. There is still quite a bit to be unlocked, more potential to be gained." Despite her calm face, Nakuka couldn't help but feel the excitement that radiated from the older woman. It seemed odd to her, Kosame never struck her as a person who would be interested in such a thing. "I'm suspecting that you have some potential, seeing as your brother is the next heir to the Vongola famiglia."

"Will I have the same flames as Tsunayoshi?" Kosame's eyes danced in delight as she gazed back at her student, her fingers laced in a rather secretive way as she rested her elbows on the table, uncharacteristically clandestine. A flash went through her hazel eyes, making it appear a strange color as a smirk set upon her lips.

"Who knows? Research has been trying to determine if flames are inherited and influenced by an individual's personality, their parent's flames, or perhaps both. It seems that mostly everyone has some type of flame inside of them, whether they can access it or not."

"Then how do people usually find out why type of flame they have?"

"Through rings. Special types of rings, such as the one you have." Nakuka's eyes flickered to the open box in her hand before another ring, a more nondescript ring, was placed in front of her. "This is a lesser quality ring, though. It should be able to pick up whatever type you have, so just slip it on and have a whirl at it. Just think of something that causes you to have strong emotions, preferably ones that will invoke strong will power."

Nakuka sent her a weird look, but chose to ignore her teacher's attitude. Now wasn't the time, these flames could help her in the future, or so she has been told; she should focus on the task at hand and try to light the ring. Closing her eyes, she felt herself calm and thoughts of her father denying to teach her caused her blood in her veins to boil. She could feel her determination gather in the pit of her stomach before traveling to her arms, making them quiver; a sudden tightness caused her to tense uncomfortably, disrupting her concentration as she opened her eyes and stared at the ring in confusion.

"It didn't light." Disappointment laced her words as a frown marred her features, eyes flickering in annoyance before looking at Kosame. Her teacher didn't seem to notice as she hummed in thought, her face blank and previous excitement now gone. She couldn't help but feel disappointment coming from her teacher, though it didn't seem to be for the same reasons as her. Her hazel eyes seemed to have lost the green tint it had before, losing the misty quality that invoked a feeling of being lost in Nakuka.

"Were you determined enough?"

"Yes." Kosame waved away Nakuka's annoyance as her student handed the ring back to her. Silence permeated the atmosphere as the two sat there, Nakuka stared at her teacher as she paid no mind to her, favoring her thoughts instead of explaining whatever she was theorizing in her head.

"Very well, then I suppose we'll just have to drop the subject for now. Perhaps it is in both of our interests to part ways for today."

"Huh?" Surprise clouded Nakuka's dark eyes before she schooled her features, nodding hesitantly before holding the box up. "Do you want this back?"

"No, you should keep it with you for now. You might as well wear it for the time being until I come to collect it from you. Now go, your mother must be worried that you're not home."

Nakuka scoffed as she pocketed the box, glancing at the woman in front of her with a blank face. She stayed silent before she ran a hand down her uniform's skirt. "Unlikely, she trusts me too much. Bye." And so she left, carrying her school bag with her as she kept a hand close to where the ring was.

Kosame didn't bother watching her, she could feel that she was no longer on the property as she stared at a random spot on the table before getting up and staring at the grounds in front of her. Her hazel eyes regained the green tint to them, almost as if it was reflecting the foliage from the gardens in the evening sunlight.

"You can come out now." The air suddenly felt like there was a storm, an electrifying feeling that had the hairs of one's head sticking up; the younger person's eyes betrayed their calm disposition as they gazed at the older figure. Kosame scoffed as her foreign looking eyes shot to the younger, a challenging smirk playing on her lips as her formal pretense fell.

"Don't be that way. You were aware of what I was doing since the beginning; in a way, I'm helping them, aren't I, Dolce?"

A small scowl pulled on the girl's face before it smoothed out and stared at the figure with bright, piercing eyes. "She's going to be back tomorrow, you'll have to end your fun here, _zio_."

"Uh-uh," the woman tutted with the wag of her finger, a wide smile on her lips as she turned to the girl. "Wrong choice of words, my sweet. The fun is just beginning." She chuckled as she turned back to the scenic view outside the room, eyes catching onto the bloody red of the flowers in the garden and noting how they seemed to thrive while the other flowers around it died.

"Yes, things are about to change for good or for worse."

* * *

**Omake: Valentine's Day! (Yeah, I know. It was like weeks ago, but I'm doing this anyway!)**

"Goddamn. I can barely walk; why does Kosame even train me this hard if it's going to result in me dying from over exhaustion." I sighed as I pushed the door open, flopping down onto the floor and removing my shoes before I struggled to get up off the floor. It was quite sad really, I could barely get off of the floor since my arms were so weak from the workout.

"Oh, Nakuka. You're here!" A sweet and happy voice interrupted my inner grouching, making me look up to see Kyoko and Haru standing in the doorway. Bianchi stood behind them, giving me a nod before going back to supervising the kids as they helped make what looked like chocolate.

"What are you two doing here?"

A seraphic smile graced their faces as they gestured to their creations behind them. They almost shined in happiness as they presented some skillfully wrapped boxes.

"We made these for everyone. We're in the process of making the last few." Kyoko explained to me kindly, though I was surprised to see the sparkly box shoved into my hands. With the raise of my eyebrow, I sent the her a questioning look.

"I heard that you like sweets, so we made some for you!" She clapped her hands happily as Haru smiled excitedly.

"Try one!" I raised both my eyebrows this time, but the fatigue told me to just go along with their demands. And so, I unwrapped the maroon box and picked up a rather nondescript ball of chocolate before biting half of it off. As I chewed, their hopeful expressions drilled into me from my peripheral vision.

"Well?"

"How is it?"

"Well..." I glanced at them as I slide the rest of the chocolate into my mouth and boxed the rest of it. "I wouldn't say it's bad."

"Huh?" At their surprised expressions, Bianchi stepped in while sending me a look.

"What she means, girls, is that she likes it."

"Really, I'm glad, then!"

"Hahi? They why didn't she say so? Kyoko-chan, we need to make more!" And with that, the ponytailed girl dragged the other into the kitchen where they got back to work. I blankly stared after them, basking in the calm noises that came from the kitchen before sending a look towards Bianchi.

"What'd you do that for?"

"What are you talking about?" She smiled at the look I sent her. "You should be more truthful with others, you'll find that it makes you closer with others over time. Who knows, maybe if you'll find someone you like by doing this."

"As in dating? Don't be ridiculous, I don't think I could ever be with someone. Dating's a pain in the ass anyway, but I have to say, if there's anyone willing to put up with me, then they deserve a medal."

The older teen shook her head at me, making me throw an annoyed glance at her before Kyoko called her into the kitchen to help them with the kids. She started to leave, but sent me a glance over her shoulder one last time. "You say that now, but one day you'll find someone you can't help but fall in love with."

"Fat chance." And so I left to go take a shower, not letting Bianchi's little speech bother me.

~Transition_\\('-')/_Transition~

"Hah~" I let out a sigh as I flopped into my swivel chair. Patting my hair dry with the towel around my neck, I relaxed as I clicked through some online practices over some of the topics we were going over in class. Studying them one by one, I basked in the warm sunlight before an idea popped into my head.

'Hopefully Mom doesn't come in when I'm doing this.' I didn't think she would, though. She knows that I like my privacy, so she rarely bothers me unless she thinks I'm in a good mood. Stepping out onto my balcony, I gripped onto the edges of the roof above me. Carefully, I hauled myself up and onto the roof.

"This is more like it." I sighed happily, letting the warm winds ruffle my hair up; even Hamu was enjoying the scene. I wouldn't admit it, but I worried that the little guy would tumble off the roof on windy days, so I always checked on him every few seconds.

"Hamu~"

"Huh, what is it?" My eyes immediately spotted what Hamu was directing his attention to, on the wind was a piece of paper so I waited for it to drift upwards before I gently grabbed it and scanned the sheet. The red and pink hearts signaled me onto what day it was.

"Ah, it's Valentine's Day, isn't it?" I raised an eyebrow, that meant that I missed the Valentine's class activities at school. Folding it into a paper plane, I set the piece of paper loose and watched it sail into the distance. "Well, it's not like it matters to me anyway. It's not like I get anything for Valentine's day."

"Hamu Hamu!" Directing my attention to the hamster, I almost shielded my eyes away from him as the sunlight made his fur seem ten times brighter.

'I need to buy some sunglasses.'

"What is it? Do you want to celebrate Valentine's day." My eye twitched as it almost looked like Hamu's eyes turned into hearts. "You can be really creepy sometimes, you know that?"

The little rodent seemed to almost take pride in the fact as he crawled into my hand where I put him in my jacket's hood for safe keeping. "Hold on tight, I'm going to go down again."

And so I swung myself off the roof and onto the balcony, hissing a bit when my shoulders clipped the back of the railing.

"Alright, what should we do?" I blinked languidly before an idea popped into my head, causing me to look at the fuzzball. "How about we go get some sushi. You like that, right?"

With a nod of his head, I went to get my wallet and the phone that Mom insisted that I carry around with me.

"Alright then, it's settled."

~Transition_\\('-')/_Transition~

"Some otoro and tempura, please." The black haired man, whom I assumed is Yamamoto's dad, nodded as he scooped up the menu. I eyed my surroundings, taking note of the weathered wood as I traced the old table top with my finger.

'Hm, no dust. At least they got that going for them.' My eyes flickered to the walls, noticing a picture that looked fairly old, depicting a family of three. It didn't take me long to figure out who it was as I soon found myself inspecting the only female of the picture. Her black hair looked shiny and silky in the morning sunlight, the summer background giving the family an air of sunshine and love about them. I resisted the urge to snort at the thought. It seemed like that sunshine-y attitude of theirs is hereditary, it was almost as blinding as the constant smiles on their face, just like the ones they sported in the picture.

"I see you found the family photo." The presence of Yamamoto's father alerted me that he was back before he could even speak, but I granted him some small talk even if I didn't care for it.

"That's your wife, isn't it?" A fond smile crossed his lips, eyes softly tracing the woman's features in the picture as if the real thing was before them. He seemed to realize I was still there in the half second he was out of it, humming in confirmation.

"Yes, that's Himawari. We took that picture after we picked Takeshi up after baseball practice. Neither of us were busy, so we both decided to stay out a little longer and play with Takeshi in the nearby flower field."

"Sunflower, huh?" My eyes trailed over to the picture once more, noting the green grass and flowers around them. "What a fitting name."

My muttering didn't seem to escape him as he grinned brightly. "Isn't it? She was always so uplifting and cheerful, that's one reason why I fell in love with her. Though, she did have a scary side to her."

His laughter washed over me, leaving me with no urge to interrupt his fond memories. It wasn't as if my food would get cold, I think I can deal with slightly room temperature fish.

"You know, sunflowers actually turn to face the sun in order to get the maximum amount of sunlight when they're growing."

"Hm, I didn't know that. That's pretty interesting, are you interested in flowers?"

"Not particularly, I tend to pick up facts here and there." I shrugged my shoulder as Hamu sat on his napkin as if it was a picnic blanket. Since I wasn't too sure how Yamamoto senior would like a hamster being on the table, I told the rodent to sit there. It seemed he didn't mind as a twinkle came to his eye, leaving me slightly wary as to what he was thinking.

"Then do you know much about baseball?" I shook my head, sports was definitely not my area of expertise. I mean, I only know basics like what type of ball they used or what type of setting they're generally played in. Other than that, I knew squat. "Hm, then maybe Takeshi can teach you a thing or two about it; Himawari did teach him how to play after all!"

"Hah, I think I'll pass; I'm not very interested in watching sports."

"Now who said anything about watching? Oh, Wel- Takeshi, welcome back home! It looks like you brought your friends with you again." He eyed the others around his son as he jokingly spoke. "I hope they don't try to run off without paying again."

"Haha, don't worry, pops! We're just celebrating Valentine's day with Tsuna since he didn't get any chocolates this year."

"Don't say that out loud, Baseball Idiot! You're making Jyuudaime look bad!"

"I'd say it's already too late for that." I turned in my chair and gave the group a flat stare, for once not bothered that they seemed to find a way to cut into my alone time.

"Nakuka-chan! You're here too, I didn't know you like sushi." I examined the baseball player's smiling face as he ignored Tsunayoshi's shriek and Gokudera's beratings before I glanced at his father, it was almost scary how alike they were.

"I guess you could say that. Ah, you ate it all." The hamster seemed to have scooted closer to the plate without leaving his allotted area and had eaten all the food that I had ordered. He twitched his nose cutely at me, but it only caused me to glare harder.

'Little shit, don't pull that cute act on me. It's not getting you out of what you just did.'

"Well, seeing as we're all here, you might as well join us, Nakuka." I glanced at the owner of the squeaky voice, realizing how long it has been since I've actually talked to Reborn. So with a sigh, I leaned against the table and closed my eyes in an attempt to push away the impending migraine that threatened to come.

"I guess there's not use in trying to leave now, you'll all probably come back to my house anyway."

"Great, let's start up some sushi then, dad!" The senior Yamamoto shook his head as he guided the group, and unfortunately me as well, to a bigger table in the back.

"You leave that to me, Takeshi; you should spend time with your friends here. Maybe you can exchange some tips with each other in order to be ready for next Valentine's day." With a sly wink, the older man left us alone.

'Honestly, I can see Yamamoto and Gokudera being popular with their looks, but I don't see them as the dating type.'

"Oh, I forgot!" With a raised eyebrow, I watched as the baseball player rummaged through a gym back before pulling out a wrapped lollipop. "Happy Valentine's Day, Nakuka-chan!"

I blinked in confusion before slowly taking the chocolate lollipop from his hand, eyeing the heart shape before sending him a flat stare. "I hope there weren't any dirty socks in there."

His laugh didn't assure me.

"Baseball Idiot, are you trying to put the moves on Jyuudaime's sister?! I can't let that happen!"

"Gokudera-kun, please sit down!"

"Gyahaha, the great Lambo-san is here to stop Stupidera!"

"Shut it, cow!"

"Tol-er-ate~"

"HIIIIII!"

My eyebrow twitched as I pinched the bridge of my nose in annoyance.

'I should have just left and sparred with Kyoya. At least that's enough of a Valentine's gift to him, not that he'd consider it a gift. Prick probably thinks it's funny to try and bash my face in. Bastard.'

Somewhere at the moment, a certain black haired teen sneezed as he bashed a tonfa into some unfortunate soul that had stumbled upon him at the worst possible time. Valentine's Day was a herbivore holiday after all. He narrowed his eyes in distaste as he reluctantly shoved the weapons back up his sleeves for later usage, feeling a strong urge to beat up a certain obstinate brunette.

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

**And that concludes a seriously long and filler-ific omake. I don't know where I was going with that, but hopefully someone out there enjoyed it.**

**C.N.D: Yes, I quite like writing dramatic and tense scenes, so I can't wait for one. And you'll see very soon, if not this chapter (don't know since I'm responding to comments first). And I know the decision is ultimately up to me, but I also like taking in the reader's suggestions since I'm usually okay with any of the options.**

**10th Squad 3rd Seat: He _is_ a very temperamental person. And yes, he did walk in on her when she was in the shower, quite the first impression (well, technically second), isn't it?**

**maiabyte: I'm glad that you like Nakuka. She's like a rebellious child that you find funny, but want to scold for being rude. It's difficult, man.**

**Viviene001: Girl, I'm like impervious to getting sick. It's funny, though, considering the fact that I was "sick" practically once every week last year during school. Well, I can't say that I'm a perfect child (PSA: don't skip school kids, it's bad yo. Even if your parents let you).**

**Enigma of Anime: You really think so? Huh, in a "I'll kill you" kind of way, yeah. I guess so. :) And maybe. ;)**

**Singular Poisonous Ashes: That was the same for me, I really like Alice and I loved that part in the future where she was killed in that car accident. It was so tragic and it made me feel so much. And I feel ya, I really like my OC, but I know that there are others with better OCs than mine. T_T**

**Dustflame: I concur, Kyoko is so badass and I just love how unpredictable. I never expected her to actually beat Mukuro, it was actually a pretty bold move of Discoabc to have her beat one of the main characters.**

**GreenOnBlack: Your welcome! And good to see you reviewing again. If I'm not mistaken, you were one of the firsts who reviewed this story. :)**

**Nyasararu: I can't tell if you didn't like the last chapter or not. If you didn't, then I'm sorry; I'll try to improve. And I understand, but hey, those sound like interesting fanfics, maybe I'll check them out one day.**

**Mitsu21: That's true, I am also waiting. I just try not to think about the next update so that I don't keep myself waiting. :P**

**Where's the mayo: I can't tell if you mean pair them up in a romantic sense or a more platonic one, but yeah, I don't really care for those characters that have to be embarrassed of everything. And "kya kya girl", I like the way you phrased that. I'm happy that you consider this to be one of your favorites. Cheers!**

**Allykrau: You thought my description made the story seem dark? Huh, that's interesting. I honestly like dark stories, but I'm not going to make this story as dark and gritty as I could make it. I'm glad that you like the story, thanks for giving it a chance.**

**Where's the mayo: Glad to see you again, mayo. And I'm glad you like their interactions with each other. I did want them to have a love/hate relationship, they're very similar, yet that causes problems in itself. Hamu is a adorable, isn't he? He's quite the little shit; he's probably the only one that can sass Nakuka without getting a foot up their ass. I forgot about that one! I really like Haruka, he's just the best!**

**Wicken25: It is quite the wonder, isn't it? Don't worry, I hand something planned that had something to do with that. Though, I don't think she'll be training anyone (at least directly), she's not the type who's patient with others.**

**_Question: _What's the dumbest thing/biggest plot hole you've encountered in KHR?**

**_Answer:_ I thought it was pretty dumb how they thought keeping the mafia secret from Kyoko and Haru was a good idea. In my opinion, it was a bad idea all around. Also, how the fuck Yuni still looks like her future self when she's in the present; if anything, she shouldn't be born or at least is a very small child. Also, how she's there in the first place. I don't know, maybe I missed that part. Maybe one of you could tell me?**

**By the way, just came back from watching the new spongebob movie. It was absolute shite in my opinion and there were some obnoxious teens talking and texting throughout the movie. I was going to tell them to shut the fuck up, but the person I was with begged me not to. Well, I settled for just flipping them the bird every once in a while when they got on my nerves. It served its purpose fairly well, but I guess when I'm dragged out to watch a movie on Valentine's day with a guy (who obviously liked me, but I didn't like them) who made me wait an hour as he finds parking, it makes me kinda cranky and confrontational. Go figure.**


	14. Starry Night, Sleep Tight

**'Allo my people! I have finally returned, so how long has it been? I think about two weeks? I decided to finally get a chapter up after I was forced to take a mock AP exam yesterday which consequently made me wake up at 6 in the morning on a Saturday and then made me stay at school until 12. It sucked, man.**

**Anyway...**

**Congratulations to _Guest_ for being the 100th commenter! And since you are anonymous I will also attribute that small claim to fame to _sousie_. So congrats you two!**

* * *

If you had asked me what I was going to do today, I would have shrugged you off and told you "I don't know." Because I really didn't know, I don't plan my days out to a "T." I just went about my regular day at school: completing homework before the class it was due in, cramming some study time in before a quiz, and avoiding getting dragged into dumb situations because of Tsunayoshi. It was the usual.

So, why was I in the gym during the boxing club's allotted slot time? Simple.

I was pissed.

Pissed at Kyoya to be more specific. That kid just loves to harass me whenever we cross paths; who cares if my bow tie is a little bit crooked, who cares if I think the Nanimori Anthem sounds stupid as fuck? The bastard can't take any criticism and so he tries to beat me up so he could protect his precious school's "honor." He acts as if it's his girlfriend who's been wronged, so he has to fight for her honor. It wasn't my fault that he couldn't control his anger and smashed a window when I dodged, I wasn't just going to stand there and take a tonfa to the face! I mean, what did he expect?!

But that wasn't what made me pissed; no, I was used to Kyoya's hissy fits by now, it was the fact that he tried to stick me with the duty of cleaning the whole school twice a week for a month as punishment.

"Who. does. he. think. he. is!" I snarled and let the punching back fly, clearly scaring the few members of the small club that was still present.

"U-Um, Nakuka-san. The boxing club is suppose to pract-" I sent the older boy a glare, causing him to shrink back. "Never mind. I think I'm actually busy today! The rings all yours!"

"Yoshitake, don't just leave me here!" Another boy glanced at me, accidentally meeting my eyes before hightailing it out of here; soon enough, most of the members scampered off, leaving me feeling a little bit better after seeing how I scared them. Ah? Was I becoming a sadist?

"Damnit. I'll be damed if I become anything like that bastard." And so I tightened my ponytail, swiping it out of the way before going back to punching the the bag that was situated in the middle of the ring. It was a good thing I had gotten into the habit of bringing work out clothes whenever I leave the house, it made impromptu workout sessions much easier to get ready for; I wouldn't want to be sweaty in school uniform, after all.

I took the boxing gloves off for a second and wiping my sweaty hands on my shorts, bending down briefly to squirt some water into my mouth before glancing at the other person in the room.

"You just going to stand there, or do you want something?" The orange haired girl blinked before putting her hands up and waving it about.

"No, no! I was just looking for onii-chan, but it seems like he's not here. I noticed you were here and I guess I lost track of time."

I stared at her blankly, tugging the plastic gloves back onto my hands before I recognized her face. "You're Kyoko, right? Ryohei is out at the moment, probably running around looking for Tsunayoshi. I told him that he wanted another boxing match against him in order to get him to leave. You'll be able to find him around the science hallway."

Expecting to hear the sound of the door opening, I turned back to discover her still standing there, nervously twisting the handle of her book bag in her hands. I raised an eyebrow, about to speak when Kyoko abruptly blurted out.

"I-Is it okay if I stay here and watch you? I've always been interested in fighting and I wanted to see how other people fought since I've only seen onii-chan's style..." Her voice tapered off as she realized how loudly she spoke at first, her soft cheeks steadily turned a healthy shade of pink before she lowered her eyes in embarrassment. "Of course, if you preferred me to leave, then I will. Not many people find the idea of me liking fighting comfort-"

"It's fine."

"Huh?" I watched her glossy hair bob as she quickly looked up at me with surprise shining in her hazel eyes.

"I don't really care. If you want to watch then go ahead, I won't stop you." She continued to stare into my dark eyes, seemingly processing what I just said before an elated smile bloomed on her face.

"Thank you, Nakuka-chan!"

Without responding, I turned back to the punching back, content on letting the girl watch me as I practiced. And that was the day that I gained an unexpected boxing partner; well, kind of.

~Transition_\\('-')/_Transition~

The little break I took in the gym was a nice change of pace, I would have to admit. At first it was a bit annoying to feel that Sasagawa staring at me the whole time, but I quickly got used to it as I tackled the punching bag; I shouldn't have expected my time to be so nice because I soon found the room to be filled with shouts and a bunch of other annoying sounds that made me want to stab something.

"Extremely fight with Sawada!"

"Onii-chan!" Kyoko held back a shriek of surprise as her brother bursted through the door, tugging along a pale Tsunayoshi and his gaggle of friends.

"Oh, Kyoko! Why are you extremely here?"

"Unhand Jyuu-daime, turf top!"

"What was that?!" Kyoko looked on in worry as Ryohei and Gokudera butted heads, looking ready to fight before they were distracted by a "manly" shriek from Tsunayoshi.

"N-Nakuka! Why are you here?! Don't tell me you're a part of the boxing club!"

"Stop shrieking. Your girlish screams are high enough to cause ears to bleed, Tsunayoshi." I rubbed my head in a sad attempt to will away the oncoming headache, this always happened when they appeared. I glanced at the clock and I suddenly found that I no longer wanted to be in this room with this lot; their energy just seemed to drain mine out of me and that in turn left me feeling irate. I didn't want to look like I was running away, because I wouldn't.

_Hm?_

My eyes caught onto the new bling that Tsunayoshi and his gang seem to sport, uniquely shaped rings now sat on their hands with certain weather patterns depicted on them.

"I see you won your _tournaments_." He was taken aback, almost stumbling before casting the only other girl in the room a nervous glance. A hand raised to the back of his neck, nervously gripping his skin, a habit that I noticed he did when he got this way.

"Ah, yeah, we won."

"I can see that." A small frown pulled at my lips when my eyes caught on the baseball player before it switched to the smoke that flittered through the air. I let it be when Gokudera stepped out of the room and stood outside, letting the carcinogenic smoke waft into the breeze. "I see you came back, you going to fight Tsunayoshi?"

"Extremely right you are!" The boxer punched the air in excitement, eliciting a series of giggles from his younger sister and causing Tsunayoshi to practically melt at said giggles.

"Get ahold of yourself." I muttered, the boy had the decency to look embarrassed as he caught what I said under my breath; I was being fairly nice since I didn't blurt it out loud for everyone to hear.

"Ah, that reminds me. You haven't been home a lot, Nakuka; Mom said that she misses you."

"Is that so?" Humming in a distracted tone, I leaned over and gathered my belongings while I threw the gloves off my hands and let them air out.

"Where did you get that?" A squeaky voice caught my attention and I immediately knew it was the baby hitman. _Huh, when was the last time we've spoken to each other?_

I raised an eyebrow before quickly catching onto what he was talking about, glancing at the ring that had slipped out of my shirt when I bent over. Pinching it between my fingers as I faintly admired the red stone, I casted a glance down at him.

"It was given to me, why?" His face was blank, but to me it looked like a frown and that enough was to get me suspicious.

"What is it?" I pressed, but I could see that he wouldn't budge.

"I need to talk to Kosame, go take me to her."

I narrowed my eyes at the baby, who was he to tell me what to do? "Why?"

"It's important." I let out a puff of air, realizing that we were wasting daylight by standing here and making idle chit chat. He wasn't going to tell me anything right now, I might have better luck getting information out of Kosame once they talked.

"I guess she has been back from her little trip for a while now. Don't be surprised if Kyoya tries to attack you, though." I ignored the surprised stare from Tsunayoshi as Reborn hopped onto my shoulder, much to my dismay. Maybe it was because I knew Kyoya's obsession with fighting against the baby, but I couldn't care less at the moment as I slung my bag onto my other shoulder, glad that I was completely dry and didn't smell that bad despite the recent workout.

Reborn shot, quite literally, a quick command at Tsuna to get stronger with Ryohei before we were off, leaving the physically older kids to train and bond and such.

Once I was outside, it finally hit me that I now had to walk all the way over to Kosame's house with a hitman that I barely knew.

_'Fucking Hell. You've got to be kidding me. Never mind dangerous, but this is going to be uncomfortable as hell.'_

"Are you nervous?"

"No, I just don't know you that well. It's a bit uncomfortable being alone with you." He hummed at my truthful statement, clearly enjoying the fact that he made me the slightest bit uncomfortable with the situation.

"Ever since you started training with Kosame, Tsuna's been worried about you." I glanced Reborn before I turned my eyes back to the streets, careful not to go down the wrong street again.

"And?"

"He does hold you to some regard, you know? He's the type of person to worry about others even if he just met them."

"It sounds like you're proud of that." L_eft, go straight for three blocks, watch out for that vicious cat, then take a right at the fountain._

"It's quite refreshing to meet someone like that when you're in the mafia, but don't get me wrong, he still has a long way to go until he becomes a mafia boss." Humming noncommittally, I rounded the corner to see the Kosame's house in the distance. If only that blasted sun wasn't shining directly into my eyes, then I would have felt more at peace with the situation.

"I'm surprised that you're so truthful with me. Why is that?"

"Who knows?"

"You do." The smirk that painted his lips were quick to drop as we entered the compound; smoothly jumping off of my shoulder, he nodded his head towards the woman whereas I was left observing the two.

"Reborn, what a surprise. I wasn't expecting you to come visit me, though a warning would have been nice." The woman smiled at the smaller being, but it was fairly obvious to the two that it was a light warning for whatever Reborn had done.

"Kosame, it's urgent." Her eyes quickly flashed, suddenly seeming more focused as she assessed the hitman before her and suddenly turned to me afterwards.

"Nakuka, dear, why don't you go and take a shower and a nap. You seemed to have done your training for the day, so you deserve a break."

Shifting my gaze between the two, I made it clear that I knew that there was something going on. _'Why can't they just tell me what's going on? Isn't keeping secrets in the mafia something that can get you killed?'_

Nevertheless, I complied out of respect for the woman and left to use one of the bathrooms. The bathroom I soon found myself in made me groan as I recognized the setting and more importantly, the figure surrounded by steam. Water fell down his shoulder in rivulets and his black hair clung to his forehead while glistening whenever the light somehow made it through the steam; his steely eyes narrowed at me and growled in that animalistic way that he did when he was annoyed.

"Herbivore."

"Ah! Lock the door, your not the only person in this house!" He ignored my logic and somehow produced his tonfas out of nowhere despite having only a towel around his waist. "Hey, stop that! At least wear some clothes before you do this! Kyoya, you fucker!"

~Transition_\\('-')/_Transition~

Kosame smiled as she heard the frustrated shrieks of her student, she sorely missed the antics of the young teens. "Perhaps I should have warned her that Kyoya was currently in the shower."

"You did that one purpose."

"Not to there knowledge, I expect you to keep it that way?"

"What you do in your spare time is of no concern to me, but back to business..." Kosame nodded with a serious expression, adjusting her kimono before kneeling at the kotatsu table and pushing a cup of tea towards Reborn. She knew he preferred coffee, espressos to be more exact, but she knew that he wouldn't refuse the gesture; he knew that she was trustworthy.

"Kosame, you need to give me access to the compound." The woman blinked in slight surprise before she shook her head and folded her hands onto her lap. She's been over this many times, why couldn't the hitman just let it go.

"Reborn, I already told you. I like my privacy and ask you to not keep surveillance on my only sanctuary."

"And I've heard your wishes, but we need to be more realistic and take into account that not everyone will respect them. Nakuka and Hibari could be targeted when they're here and we wouldn't know because you're the only one who knows what's going on here."

"No one dares to come here unless I say they can, that was very well established when that greenhorn assassin tried to pay me a visit a few years ago."

"But there are still people who aren't afraid of your reputation." Kosame eyed Reborn. Her mind flew over all the possible faces that would possibly cross her territory. _Greenhorns? No, Kyoya would inform me about them if any came. Vindice? That was definitely out of the question; she didn't do anything to warrant their presence._

Her eyes widened a fraction and her posture stiffened slightly, it would have taken a trained eye to notice how worried she became. "Icarus."

Reborn nodded grimly as he took a sip of the tea, almost frowning at how light the flavor was compared to his bitter espresso. "Nakuka mentioned you have been back from your intelligence gathering trip for a while now, but I can assume you just arrived."

"You would be correct." He watched as she ran her hands under the kotatsu table and down its legs before she got up and checked every nook and cranny. "If someone was posing as myself, then it must have been a mist user unless _he _made another invention to do his biddings." Once she was satisfied that no bugs or wiretaps were found, she sat back down and casted her glance towards the baby.

"Unfortunately, we do not know much about him other than the suspicion that he may be here in Nanimori." Kosame couldn't believe what she was hearing, to think that he would come into her own home and slip out from right under their noses. "He didn't do anything to Kyoya or Nakuka, did he?"

"It doesn't look like it. They both seem to be nice and violent, though-"

"'Though' what?" She started on him, there can be nothing good whenever it involved Icarus. She leaned forward and pressed her hands together under the table, trying to stave the tension the held her shoulders taunt.

"I would like to know what you know before I continue."

"You have always enjoyed having the upper hand in these kind of dealings." She let out a small sigh before lowering her head, conceding defeat. "All right, I will tell you what I know."

~Transition_\\('-')/_Transition~

This was just perfect, even after clearing the obstacle in getting Tsuna chosen as the 10th boss of the Vongola, there seemed to be even more problems popping up. It didn't sit well with Reborn as he walked away from Yamaguchi Kosame's compound. A threat was closing in on them, yet they always seemed to slip right through their defenses and leaving hints just to unnerve them. The audacity of it all! They were some of the most top notch hitmen and spies, yet one single man can wreak such silent havoc in their own territory.

He felt the urge to pull the trigger of his gun, preferably toward the forehead of the man named Icarus. He was just too dangerous to keep around, no matter how brilliant he was and that was what Vongola's higher ups agreed with as well once he contacted them.

In exchange for notifying Kosame about her student's new ring, he gained the information that the Beccio Famiglia had suddenly retracted their alliance with the Vongola and the Trad 6 Famiglia had suddenly gained a jump in power by absorbing one of the other minor Famiglias that had formed around the same time as themselves. Something was going on in the underground world, something that was pulling the strings and messing with the order of things; that was something that was not tolerated in the Vongola, not by him at least.

It was all suspicious, but all he can do is wait and gather information the best he could while he stayed in Nanimori. His biggest concern is to protect the Vongola and that means its future as well.

* * *

"Wow, you're so good at this, Nakuka-chan!" I dipped my head respectfully as the other girl handed me a water bottle and towel, glad to have a break from this intense sparring match against a stationary object. I had once again taken over the gym, but this time I didn't have to kick the boxing club out as it was their day off. In fact, Kyoko was the one who told me about it.

We had an unestablished arrangement where I practiced my fighting and she would sit down and silently watch me. She eventually started to carry snacks and small meals with her as she observed. This time, though, I decided to break that.

"So, why do you like fighting so much?"

"Huh?" She blinked in surprise, probably because I never spoke to her much, but she nervously took the bottle from my hand and replaced it with a small towel for me to use. "I guess it's because it runs in the family. Onii-chan is a boxer and dad really likes martial arts, momma met him in one of his tournaments, you know? She said he was cool and that he instantly fell in love."

Dabbing the towel at my perspiration, I took note of how she busied her hands and flittered her eyes to random spots around the room so that she wouldn't meet my gaze. I kept silent, though, letting her prattle on with her explanation.

"I know it's weird of me to like these things. People say it's too violent for someone like me and they always protect me from it; I wanted to be a boxer at some point, too, but I've been told that it doesn't suit me and that I'd just get hurt. Well, I guess they're right, I'm not very strong, you know?" She let out a strangled giggle. "Onii-chan worries about me anyway, so I shouldn't do anything that'll make him worry too much; he protects me, so I should be supportive and heal him when he's hurt."

Kyoko stood there, smiling with a faraway look in her eye before she snapped out of it and realized that we were just standing there. "Oh, but don't mind me! I like watching from the sidelines, so keep up your best work, Nakuka-chan. I'll support you just like onii-chan!"

_'Ah, there's the thousand watt smile again.'_ I sighed as took off the gloves and began to shuffle through my bag, producing a role of bandages and tossing it towards the girl. Her hands fumbled with it for a second, obviously surprised by the sudden action before she clutched it to her chest with wide eyes.

"Huh, what's this for?"

"Wrap it around your knuckles." At her confused look, I sighed and sent her an impatient look. "Fighting a stationary object can only help me so much. I need a partner."

Amber eyes blinked slowly before recognition flashed in her eyes. "Oh no, I couldn't! I wouldn't be very much help to you!"

"That's fine." I cut her off as I redid my ponytail and put my gloves on. "I can teach you along the way, but let me warn you-" Pausing, I stared her in the eyes. "I won't go easy on you."

"R-Right!" And so she wound the bandages around her fists in a clumsy fashion, forcing me to take off my gloves to redo her handiwork and explaining her how to do some basic techniques such as not tucking your thumb into your fists when you punch unless you want a broken thumb. And slowly she became better, becoming more of a challenge to me as she gained less and less bruises to show for it.

* * *

"You didn't have to walk me home, Nakuka-chan." Kyoko smiled softly, enjoying the late afternoon breeze that cooled our hot skins as we headed to her house. Shrugging my shoulders, I brushed off her comment and glance at the approaching night sky.

"It's fine, Ryohei would appreciate the gesture and it's always good to have favors to call upon for later uses." The girl beside me giggled, completely missing the serious look I had on my face that would have told her I wasn't joking about the favor part.

"Yes, yes, I'll be sure that onii-chan appreciates it." She grew silent and we walked in tandem with each other, her hands fiddling with the ends of the jacket she was wearing despite the fact that she must have been warm in it.

I debated on whether I should stay silent or not before sighing in defeat. "What's wrong?"

She looked at me, paused, then lowered her eyelids and laced her fingers together. "I feel like Tsuna-kun and the others having been keeping something from Haru and I."

"What makes you say that?"

"When I saw onii-chan fighting another man in a cage, they said it was a sumo match and the other time when he got hurt, they told me he fell from a chimney." Her face grew grim and the wind gently blew locks of her caramel colored hair away from face. "I'd like to believe that they wouldn't lie to me, but it's getting harder and harder to believe Tsuna-kun and the others."

I stayed silent and resisted the urge to sigh, I thought she was oblivious. I guess she just kept to herself more than we thought she did. We stopped outside of her house and she bit her lip before she met my eyes with her troubled pair. Her eyes seemed to shine in the newly risen moon as she gripped the doors handle, halfway inside the house when she asked me her question.

"You wouldn't keep anything important from me, would you, Nakuka-chan?"

"I'm a private person. I don't share much to begin with." Her shoulders relaxed and a small smile graced her lips.

"Ah, I forgot about that. Thank you for the sparring match today. See you soon?" At the nod of my head, she closed the door with a small whisper to warn me to be careful while going home. I briefly contemplated about crashing at Kosame's house, but Tsunayoshi's words came back to me and I realized it's been almost two weeks since I've last seen the woman who has raised me for the past few years.

_'Well, I guess I can go the extra distance for once.'_

And soon enough, I was headed towards the overcrowded house, but I didn't get very far.

"Tanpopo, what are you doing here?" I blinked at the blonde girl, her eyes seemingly luminescent in the moon light which made it appear a shade closer to red. _'Funny, I thought she would get upset with me not using her nickname.'_

"Nakuka." I paused where I was sensing something was wrong, my instincts telling me to get out of there and ditch the idea of going home in favor to going to Kosame's home which was closer. Despite that, I pulled out the black pendant from before.

"What, do you want this back now? If so, then here you are. I need to get going, though. It's late." Her face twisted in guilt before she lowered her head and brought a fan out.

"I'm sorry." With that said, she flicked the fan open and launched something at me. Knowing I wouldn't get out of the way in time, I raised my arm and shielded my face. Blinking belatedly, I pulled the thin tube and needle out of my forearm, dropping it as I suddenly felt the world tilt out from under me. Having enough senses left, I braced myself to reduce the amount of damage I'd receive once I crashed into the pavement, leaving me to breathe heavily in a pitiful heap.

There was a dull hum that sounded like a feminine voice, no doubt Tanpopo, before a hand appeared in my vision and picked up the dropped pendant. I was pushed onto my back, my eyes meeting the starry night sky with dark clouds floating about and covering up the only real source of light. It didn't matter much at that point, though, because that was the last thing I saw before I blacked out.

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

**I'll say this now, I'm sorry-not-sorry at the cliche ending. I couldn't help it, I just felt the need to. But at least Tanpopo's finally becoming relevant after appearing on and off again for so long!**

**where's the mayo: I'd have to agree, though that's probably because I'm not a very romantic person. I find any degree of strong infatuation weird, like when people idolize celebrities. They've most likely never met them, so why would they like them so much? And yeah, it would be creepy if you think of it that way. And yeah, the girls are sadly not that useful; don't worry, I don't plan on them staying that way! :)**

**Singular Poisonous Ashes:**** You know it (no use keeping it secret, it is the name of the fanfic after all)! Yeah, I was contemplating on how she would react and figured she wouldn't be particularly bothered since she's neither very emotional nor empathetic enough to feel bad about it. Survival to fittest, am I right? And you'll find out in the future~**

**Snickering Fox:**** Never watched it, but I think I get what you're saying. I see your point, it makes sense since Vongola is so big and there's so little they can do to keep corruption out. Power is a tantalizing thing and there's bound to be people sneaking in to get some; thanks for your comment, it's quite the idea provoker. P.s. Good to see that you finally got an account.**

**Allykrau: Thanks once again, I hope to continue making this a fun experience for both the readers and myself.**

**cascioli:**** Quite~**

**Viviene001:**** I have updated! :D**

**10th Squad 3rd Seat:**** Nope, I meant the very last arc where the Vindice comes and all the arcobalenos form teams and Checker Face and whatnot. I don't remember how Yuni appeared out of nowhere when she should have been a young child (unless she is younger but I just didn't see that).**

**Marie:**** I was quite the "experience." I'm not much into the dating scene myself, so it was a good thing the guy got the hint and knew I wasn't interested. And thank you very much, I'm glad that someone liked my take on Iemitsu.**

**Guest:**** Oh you~ Shipping Hibanaku? You crazy, 'cuz they'd tear each other apart! But seriously, it made me laugh when I saw your comment; who knows what mayhem would ensue if two stubborn fighters got together? And I quite liked the shower scene myself. ;) Thanks for commenting!**

**sousie:**** Quick and to the point, I see. Well, here you go: one chapter as requested!**


	15. Fairytales are for Chumps

**I'm back once again! I'm ready for some more crappy writing and plot, you ready for some more crappy writing and plot?! No? Well, too bad!**

**But seriously. No? Then what you doing here, fool? I'm kidding, I welcome any stragglers who come upon my story.**

**Anyway...**

**Congratulations to _Prince_ for being the 110th reviewer!**

* * *

"Wake up, Nakuka. It's time to wake up." My eyes opened as my head spun in a daze. The brown haired woman smiled at me, pressing a hand against my cheek softly before I noticed our surroundings. Sluggishly, I flickered my gaze around the room, spotting Tanpopo in the corner with a wary expression on her face. I brought my eyes back to my mother and sat up on the luxurious red couch that I was sitting on, subtly brushing an arm against myself to check to see if my gun was with me. Satisfied when I located the item, I casually turned to the older female and noticed how the yellow light of the chandelier casted a soft shadow on her face. A rich mahogany coffee table sat behind her where a cup of tea was conveniently located. Spindly fingers gripped the rim of the cup, careful of the hot liquid that sloshed inside, and passed me the cup. Bearing the extreme heat that radiated through the ceramic mug, I kept my eyes trained on the woman as she rounded the table and sat in a creamy yellow arm chair. Her black skirt shifted around her legs when she crossed them, sleeves of the same color crinkling as well as she pressed the tips of her fingers together in amusement. Finally finding my voice, I spoke without a hint of endearment.

"What's going on?"

"What are you talking about, Na-chan? Tane-chan found you passed out in the streets and brought you to her home. Mou~ You need to take it easy, you'll ruin your health if you keep working so hard." Ignoring the pout on her face, I analyzed her face as something felt a bit off about the situation. My eyes then flickered to the vase on the coffee table, flourishes of red spider lilies sat within them innocently. And with a sigh, I bowed my head.

**Ka-shh**

"Hey!" Tanpopo cried out in alarm; the mug previously in my hand was now shattered among the rug, shards now clung to the threads of the lush carpet as the hot tea soaked into it.

"Don't mess with me." I narrowed my eyes in a cold warning, cocking the gun at my "mother." The smile on her face did not leave at the metal death that was pointed at her forehead, irritation spread through me as I got the feeling that she saw me as no threat. "Do you think I am that easily fooled? Mukuro tricked me before with his illusions, so don't even try it. I know she brought me here, now tell me why, _mother_."

"Please, put the gun down, Nakuka." Glancing to my side, Tanpopo stood with a metal fan in hand, the blades threateningly pointed towards my neck. If had more common sense, I would probably put the gun down, but I guess my recklessness can make me a bit of a problem at times.

"It's all right, Dolce. I'm happy that she noticed so quickly." I didn't move as the image of the woman started to waver, her hair slowly turned a flaxen and her features morphed to become sharper than her normally soft self. By the time _he_ spoke again, bright green eyes gazed mysteriously at me.

"Kosame..."

"Ah, you recognize me! I'm surprised you were able to connect the dots so quickly!" The man smiled happily as he tilted his head in his hand, obviously trying to provoke me. Much to my dismay, it seemed to be working. If there was anything that I hated, it is when people act condescending to me and don't treat me seriously. At the moment, I could understand why Kyoya was so violent towards other people. I wanted to wipe that smile off his face in some of the most violent ways.

"Tell me, how did you know that I was the one pretending to be that lady?"

"Answer my question."

"Ahh~ Be careful there, dear. That tone of voice could get you killed by less forgiving people; luckily, I like you too much for me to kill you right now. All right, I'll tell you who I am."

"Zio..."

"It's all right, Dolce." The man waved a hand in the air, shooing away Tanpopo's warning. He leaned forward in unhidden excitement, a grin across his rather young looking face. "My name is Icarus and I brought you here to make a proposition."

I narrowed my eyes warningly, not speaking a word as I observed the situation. Frustratingly, I realized that I couldn't tell what his intentions were, but there was something in me that said not to trust the man. I scowled a little bit more when he a small chuckle sank through the stiff air.

"I say proposition, though I can't really call it that. Can I?" He leaned forward, and to my surprise, he placed his forehead right on the muzzle of the hand gun. A sharp smile curled on his lips as his cat-like eyes glinted up at me. "Have you ever wondered why I let you keep your gun? Wouldn't it have been more prudent of me to take it from you while you were unconscious?"

My temper rose, I could feel the pressure building in my chest as I glared at Icarus in unbridled rage. How dare this man?! How dare he toy with _me_ like this! He let me keep my gun because he saw me as no threat, that was something that I could not forgive. I'm not to be taken lightly!

Tanpopo flinched slightly and warily sent me a glance, not interfering as she switched her gaze between the two of us. Her raspberry pink eyes finally settled on the man in front of her, cautioning him with the look on her face.

"Zio, please don't make fun of her. She won't comply if you make her mad." We both knew that he knew that by the look his face, that joyful expression, that he knew _exactly_ what he was doing.

"I'll get straight to it then, dear. I want to offer you a chance to get stronger, strong enough where you'd be one of the most feared mafioso in the world."

"What's the catch?"

"You would have to do a few errands for me, nothing too grand."

"I don't like to blindly go into a deal." I paused, as much as I liked the idea of being incredibly strong, I'm not too into being someone's lackey. "What if I say no?"

"Then I can just kill your family and friends one by one."

"Zio!"

We both ignored the blonde girl as we stared at each other impassively. A dark smirk broke out onto my lips, I chuckled a little bit as I tilted my head.

"Do you really think that threat would work on me? You could kill everyone for all I care; you could even kill me if you wanted, but even that is not enough to get me to listen to you."

Tanpopo gained silently stared at me with alarm in her eyes, clearly not knowing how far I'd go just to keep doing things my way. It was logical in my eyes, though. Reborn was there to protect most of the others and if he wasn't able to do that, then he's not as good as people said he was. They were nice people, but their deaths would not be something that would keep me up at night. It was survival to the fittest, after all.

"Ahaha! You're just so unpredictable, Na-cha! I can't tell what you'd do next sometimes; that's a dangerous aspect, you know? Maybe it would be best if I snuffed out that potential right now."

I blinked in surprise at the sudden statement, but I was even more surprised, if not annoyed, at the person who suddenly stood in front of me.

"I can't allow that, uncle. You said you only wanted to talk to her; I don't want to bring any more innocent people into this."

"Oh, is this insubordination, Dolce?" Once again, the bastard started to laugh. "Amazing, you even get people to act differently, Na-chan! It's like your very presence changes how things are suppose to happen!"

"Huh," I snorted at the man before sliding my gun back into its usual spot. A dangerous smile settled on my face as I stepped past the girl. "Well then, how about a little testing trial, then? I'll see how I like this little proposition of yours and if I like it, then I wouldn't mind doing it for a little longer. As long as you tell me what I want to know and don't send me into intentional suicide missions, then I'll be willing to play along. So, what do you say?"

"You turned my little deal right on its head, dear. But that craftiness is exactly what attracted my attention in the first place." Against my intuition, I shook the hand that was offered to me. "I hope we have a good working relationship, Na-chan."

"Don't count on it." And with that, I spun on my heels and exited the dimly lit room.

"Hey, wait!" I stopped, glancing behind me in order to see the approaching blonde and the slight panic encased on her face. I almost growled when she spun me around forcibly, her hands squeezing my shoulders as her eyes frantically stared into mine. "Do you know what you just did? You practically just signed your life away!"

"I'll be fine. And if I'm not, then it's my own fault." My flippant attitude only made her more distressed, but I didn't let that bother me as my eyes became colder. "That shouldn't matter to you anyway, you were the one who brought me here against my will and then threatened me with that fan of yours. Why should you be so concerned about my wellbeing?"

In her shocked state, it was easy to remove her hands from my shoulder. I was about to walk off when she once again grabbed me, flipping my palm upwards and setting something familiar into it.

"Please, at least take this with you." I stared silently at the black pendant that laid in my hand, face blank and calculating as I tilted my hand and let it clatter to the floor.

"Why? So, you can track me and know where I am at all times?" I smiled darkly at the expression on her face, knowing I had hit the nail on the head. "Honestly, you're so easy to read. You're just like Tsunayoshi, so easy to read, so willing to try and protect others. It's annoying. I don't need your help. I don't want your help. If I die, then it'll be because of my own actions; I don't want anyone to interfere with that. So, don't interfere with my decisions, _Dolce_."

Leaving the girl to stand there, I calmly made my way out of the building. Honestly, something in me felt off as I left the room, but I didn't let it bother me too much once I finally found my way outside and wandered around until I found my way home.

A brief thought of guilt floated through my head, telling me that I shouldn't have treated her that way, but it quickly fell into oblivion once I casted it away. I knew that I had changed in the years that I had been Sawada Nakuka; I had become more normal, caring, I understand emotions a bit more than I used to. But I guess I hadn't lost who I used to be, and I was slightly glad for that.

~Transition_\\('-')/_Transition~

Tanpopo was staring at the door that her classmate had exited through quite some time ago. A tired sigh escaped her lips as she felt the heavy pressure of despair that weighed on her shoulders. She knelt down and picked up the tracking device, wondering how Nakuka had figured out what it was as she sighed once again. Once again, her warnings were ignored.

"How many times has it been?" She asked aloud at the ceiling, hoping that an answer would arrive but to no avail. How many times does she have to watch innocent people become twisted beyond repair as they struggled to keep up with her uncle's games.

"Ah, she knows my real name now." She let out a troubled groan as she pulled on her long tresses. She had gotten so used to the name Tanpopo that she almost forgot that she was simply there because her uncle caught wind of the strongest arcobaleno being here in Nanimori.

Tanpopo paused, twirling her tessen in that nervous habit that she just couldn't seem to get rid of. Feeling the need to be alone at the moment, she sat in the middle of the seemingly abandoned warehouse and contemplated the situation.

"I feel ridiculous." A groan escaped her as she bent herself in a way so that her forehead rested on her crossed ankles. "I've been a part of the mafia for so long and I still get worked up over these type of things."

_'I just don't want her to become like the others.'_ Her eyelids lowered at the thought, forgotten names flashing in her mind before settling down. Lamenting wouldn't do her any good, any how. They were names of people who she doubt she could help at this point, much to her dismay; that's why she tried to watch out for Nakuka without catching her uncle's attention. In fact, she wasn't even the first person Icarus had taken interest in; that Hibari Kyoya was certainly a tantalizing candidate when he had found out that he was Kosame's godson. For similar reasons, Yamamoto Takeshi and Sawada Tsunayoshi were taken into consideration. They were both connected to powerful mafioso and Icarus loved the idea of taking them out from under the two mafioso and stirring trouble.

For the life of her, she couldn't understand the reason why Icarus had shifted his attention to one of his option's younger sister. While skipping grades was not a common thing for most people, it certainly wasn't unheard of; there must have been some reason why he picked the youngest Sawada out of the crowd, a reason that eluded her. Sometimes, it just seemed like certain people drew his attention for no reason. Half the time, she was nonplussed by Icarus's sudden change in decision, so she really shouldn't be surprised by it anymore.

"Ow." A slight whine of pain echoed around the room as she nursed the aching spot on her head. "I forgot how much it hurt when I miss catching my tessen."

She sighed once again, chastising herself for forgetting the problem at hand but not bothering to continue with the thought as she remembered the past.

_"Hello, my name is Obanashi Tanpopo, it's nice to meet you." The blonde smiled at the kids occupying the room, at ease when they happily greeted her back. For once, she felt normal as she was directed towards the empty desk away from the windows, next to a brunette who sat closest to the doors. The brunette glanced at her briefly, but otherwise paid her no attention, so she extended a greeting in an assumption that the girl was shy._

_"Hello, it's nice to meet you. What's your name?"_

_"Sawada Nakuka." The girl answered in a clipped tone, putting Tanpopo off as her cheeriness died down a little._

_"Uh, it's nice to meet you, Sawada-san. I hope we can be good friends."_

_"Doubt it." She blinked in a surprise with a "huh?" floating out of her agape mouth. "You're too happy, it's annoying."_

_"What?" Her eyes narrowed at the girl's behavior. What was her problem? "You don't have to be so rude, you know."_

_She bristled when the girl ignored her, favoring her in-class novel as opposed to answering the new student. It was then that she decided that she disliked the rudely distant girl, opting to shooting her snappy responses when the girl came into her sight. She would later be embarrassed by her childish behavior, but she couldn't help acting that way around the younger girl. It was almost like something about her was an irregularity and thus making everything else around her strange._

_Each day, her dislike for seemed to grow as she realized just how brilliant the girl was at everything else. Where she lacked in social aspects, she made up for it in academics and the arts. It annoyed her just how easily she seemed to get good grades and praises, acting like they were everyday occurrences while everyone else took them graciously._

_In a sense, she was fascinated with this Sawada Nakuka. Her annoyance with her started to die down while her understanding of the girl seemed to grow. She watched the girl and soon found her curious about her life, leading her to admittedly spy on her every chance she could in order to figure out what made this girl tick. She didn't get much of an answer, though. Her life at home was rather nice, cheery even, as her young mother greeted her everyday and made her meals fit for a king; even with the absence of a father figure, the home seemed to prosper and did not seem to be the reason for Nakuka's attitude._

_Soon enough, she could say that she respected the girl the longer she observed her. And she was embarrassed by that fact as she suddenly felt a change of heart and tried to gain her favor. She found herself bothering the girl, testing the waters and taking note as to how the girl reacted to her. Tanpopo became embarrassingly happy when she was unintentionally complimented, not that she would have admitted it to others. That time when she gave that girl some rice balls was a textbook example and she would never admit that that night she went home and practiced making them, much to Icarus's amusement.  
_

_Then he started to notice the girl, just as she had. Tanpopo became nervous, attempting to keep his gaze off of the girl as she guiltily directed them towards others around the brunette. She knew that he would eventually approach the girl, but she was determined to try and help the girl as much as she could. And then, as she predicted, Nakuka was approached._

Tanpopo's eyebrows furrowed, the grip on her tessen tightened once she stood up. Dust clung to her school skirt, but she didn't bother dusting it off as she hung the black pendant around her own neck.

"I'll do something this time. I don't want you to end up like the others." And so Tanpopo spun around, going back to her ordinary school life of homework and math problems.

* * *

After that whole debacle, I learned that I had missed a whole day at school and I was counted absent by Kyoya's request (though, we all knew it was Kosame). Riffling through the papers in my hands, I quickly glanced over all the material that I missed the previous day.

"Well, this is great." I muttered to myself, frowning as I saw the review sheet among the stack. This only meant that a test was coming up soon.

"Herbivore, why were you missing yesterday?" A soft sigh exited through my nose, snapping the papers in my hand together I paid no serious mind to the older boy.

"Nothing that you should worry about. I just needed to take care of some things."

"You better not be skipping class. I'll bite you if you are."

"Yeah, yeah, carnivore. I got the message." A _**whoosh**_ went by my ear as I moved my head to the side, narrowly missing the tonfa that soared past me and dented the poor office wall. "Nice seeing you too, Kyoya." I paused for a moment, ignoring the glare that the boy was directing at me.

"Hey, Kyoya."

"What do you want?"

"If you had a chance to get stronger, but there's a chance that you are being tricked by someone and dying, would you take it?"

"Hn." I glanced at the black haired boy, wondering if he was going to answer me or not. He simply sat there, completely content with his swivel chair and his tonfas (I had brought the other one back to him, knowing how ape shit he got when he didn't have both of them with him) as he petted that yellow canary bird of his. He squinted against the sunlight that shined in his eyes, but he didn't make a move to change that or the silence the permeated the room. Almost fed up with the silence, I was about to leave when he finally spoke.

"I would. If I can get stronger then I would be willing to take the chance. I don't like being tricked, though, so I'd just bite the person to death if they tried anything." A bit dumbfounded, I stared blankly at him before snorting in amusement and smirking at him.

"You're too bloodthirsty, Kyoya-senpai." Smiling, I took note of the frown that appeared on his face when I attached that suffix to his name. "I guess even bloodthirsty monsters like yourself can be helpful once in a while."

"Get out, herbivore."

"Yes, yes, I'll be out of your way now, oh powerful one." Laughing once more, I closed the door behind me in time to hear another tonfa bang against the door. I decided to behave for once and not provoke him by opening the door and saying anything that would irritate him, he was semi-helpful to me for once.

"Nakuka-chan!"

"Kyoko."

"Nakuka-chan, were you sick yesterday? You weren't at the boxing ring."

"Ah, right... Sorry about that, something came up and I had no way of notifying you." She took my half-hearted apology with a grin, shaking her head and shifting a suspiciously long socks around her thighs. "Bruises?"

She seemed confused at first, but finally got it as she nodded sheepishly. "It seemed like that kick of yours was more powerful than we thought. I had to wear these thigh-high stockings in order to cover them. It's fine, though. A lot of people have been telling me that they look cute, no one suspects a thing!"

I didn't bother mentioning the fact that these people would tell her anything looked good on her. I mean for middle schoolers, their libido is pretty damn high. Half the guys can barely keep it in their pants.

"You could always just tell Ryohei that you spar now."

"Oh, I couldn't do that!" She quieted down, mulling over a thought in her head before she nodded slightly. "I guess I could tell Haru-chan, though. She seems to have weird preferences like me, so maybe she'd accept it."

"Who?" I thought it over before a certain ponytailed "hahi" girl popped into my head. "Ah, the one who is dead set on marrying Tsunayoshi? She definitely seems like a weird one. How about Hana? She seems like she wouldn't care."

"You think so? I don't want to scare her away with what I'm doing." I snorted, deadpanning at the hallways in front of us and ignoring the random students gazing at me. And when I mean me, I mostly mean Kyoko. I don't know how she can stand all these people lollygagging after her, it's maddening. Though, it was funny in a way, Kyoko's name sounds similar to Kyoya's and yet they are totally different people. She'd probably kill him with her sparkling smile of friendliness, now that would have been a sight to behold.

"Well if she's scared away, then she's not a friend that you should concern yourself with." Kyoko looked unsure, but she didn't comment on it when she suddenly spotted a familiar looking group ahead of us.

"Huh, it's Tsuna-kun. Let's go say hi to them, Nakuka-chan!" Immediately frowning at the sudden tug on my arm, I refrained from biting the girl's head off as she pulled me towards the group of boys. "Hello, Tsu-kun!"

"O-Oh, hello, Kyoko-chan. Eh! Nakuka, what are you doing here?!" I left the bored expression on my face as I finally retrieved my arm from the girl, ignoring the boy when he momentarily colored at the sight of Kyoko's adventure in longer socks.

"What? Can I not walk around in the school I attend?"

"N-No, not at all. I was just..." He started to rub the back of his head in that annoyingly obvious habit of his. "It's just that you didn't come home last night and Yamamoto's aunt said that you weren't there. I was just worried, that's all."

Feeling faintly surprised, my eyes bored into his face impassively, causing him to "hie" under his breath. If I had made it more of a habit to use facial features, I would have knitted my eyebrows together in confusion.

_'I don't understand his reasoning for being concerned over me.'_

"I'm fine as you can see. There was just something that I needed to take care of. Isn't that right, Dolce?" The blonde girl looked faintly surprised, but an exasperated expression made her pull the corners of her lips back.

"A-Ah~ That's right. I needed Nakuka...-san to come over to my house and kept her up all night with my request." She amended herself as she continued. "I decided to let her sleep at my house in payment since she did help me out, I'm sorry for any inconvenience I've caused."

"Oh no, not at all!" Tsunayoshi slightly panicked when the blonde bowed to him. "I-It's all right, senpai. I was just worried that nee-san was in trouble."

"Eeeh? Who are you calling 'nee-san?'" I crossed my arms and muttered to myself. At this point, I can't even bring myself to care about these trivial acts that Tsunayoshi manages to annoy me with. "Disregarding that, what do you want, Dolce?"

"Would you please stop calling me that; it's Tanpopo, not Dolce."

"Oh, what happened to Tane?"

"I get it you're angry with me, but-"

"Angry? No, I'm beyond angry." Narrowing my eyes, I seemed to almost forget that there were other students around us. "I'm furious."

"Listen, I'm sorry. I didn't want it be like this either, but just listen to me. I'm just trying to help you."

"I don't need your help." Tsunayoshi and Kyoko glanced between us nervously, unsure of what to do while Takeshi appeared more confused with the situation. Gokudera seemed to be the only one to get that there was more to our previous story than what we said.

"Perhaps it would be better if we discussed this elsewhere." A squeaky voice suggested. We both turned to look at Reborn, the blonde was more unnerved by his sudden appearance while I could have cared less. I disregarded the black stare directed at me as I turned my nose away, favoring the window and its bright scenic view of the courtyard. For once, I noticed how the cherry blossoms had gone past their pink blossoms and had bloomed into green foliage.

_'Just when did that happen?'_ I thought belatedly.

"There's no need for that. I'd say that our discussion is over." My eyes slid to him, a deeper and more suggestive meaning glinting behind them. "I won't involve Tsunayoshi or any of your precious Vongola, so don't worry about it."

Surprisingly, it wasn't Reborn or Tanpopo who answered me. "Nakuka... If there's something going on, then you should tell me. I want to help you"

There was a spark behind his eyes, almost as if the intensity of a setting sun shone in his eyes. For a brief moment, I felt like telling him everything. I felt like he was the older one for once as he gripped my wrist strongly, but not so much that it hurt.

"It's fine, Tsuna." I soon found myself saying in a soft voice, gently removing the hold that he had on me. "I'm just fine. I've been getting along fine without you or dad, so there's no need to change what's all ready working."

I paused briefly, dark brown irises scanning the young faces around me. Blankly, as if my mouth had a mind of its own, I started to talk. "I should get going. I have some things to do. Don't expect to see me later, Kyoko; I have some other activities planned for later."

And with that small conversation out of the way, I left. My back prickled as I felt the trailing gazes of eyes, but I paid it no mind until was successfully out of their range of sight.

_'Good grief, if I knew how troublesome this life would have been, then I would have just stayed dead.'_

~Transition_\\('-')/_Transition~

Tsunayoshi felt oddly worried as he watched his younger sister walk away. He seemed to be feeling like that a lot these days. Something in his gut was rolling and screaming to him that something was up and it was not as easily dealt with as Nakuka made it appear. He frowned when she, once again, denied his help and continued to deal with whatever it is that she gotten herself into; historically, she was known to be the one who took care of her own business rather efficiently, but this gut feeling of his made him act differently. Daringly, he had reached out and grasped her thin wrist in a strong grip, something he had no idea that he could have done previously.

For once, she didn't snarl or glare at him for touching her. Instead, she stared directly at him, something he realized she hadn't done for the longest time and despite the serious air to the conversation, he took delight in it. Even more so, she didn't call him by his full name, something that was rare in itself.

"I'm just fine. I've been getting along fine without you or dad, so there's no need to change what's all ready working." He flinched minutely at the unintended jab.

_'I know. I know I haven't been there for you.'_

He felt guilty at the thought, eyebrows furrowing as he stared at the retreating back of his younger sister. A sudden thought made his stomach sink, realization taking a hold of him and causing his eyes to burn.

_'Since when did she start pushing me away? Or rather, why did I let her?'_

"Jyuudaime?" He ignored Gokudera's call, instead turning to Tanpopo. Or was it Dolce? Whatever it was, it made him wary.

"What's going on?"

"Depending on your answer, I'll blow you up!" Tsuna felt a twinge of annoyance in him; he was a patient person, but that patience could only last for so long and this was obviously one of those moments where Gokudera's outbursts weren't appreciated. Despite that, he ignored the silver haired bomber and the uncharacteristically silent baseball player.

_'Ah, at times like these, I appreciate Yamamoto's ability to read the situation.'_

"Senpai, Nakuka-chan isn't in trouble, is she?" He almost did a one-eighty at the voice.

"Kyoko-chan..." Surprised, he almost forgot his crush was there the whole time. This time, though, he didn't feel the need to flush and become an utter fool in front of her, instead focusing on the concerned look she casted at the blonde.

"Hah... If only I could answer truthfully." She pushed her bangs away in a frustrated manner, pausing as she caught Reborn's eye. "Ah, I'm not the enemy if that's what you're thinking. I'm really trying to keep her from anything dangerous, you know?"

"No, I don't know."

The blonde sighed again, muttering something about stress and Vongola which caused Tsuna to shoot a nervous glance at Kyoko. He didn't want her getting involved with the mafia, but he could already tell that she was getting suspicious. Suddenly, an angry Nakuka flashed in his mind, causing him to glance warily at the honey eyed girl.

_'Would she be angry too if she found out what I was hiding from her?' _He already knew the answer to that, though. _'Maybe I should tell her and Haru the truth?'_

"Reborn-" He started off meaningfully, but his hitman tutor seemed to be one step ahead of him.

"Whatever you feel is necessarily, Dame-Tsuna." Yamamoto and Gokudera both looked between the two, wondering what exactly the two had wordlessly conversed about. So, he turned back to the older girl and nodded, feeling like he had some control in the situation for once.

"Please try to keep her as much as you can."

"Huh!" She sent him an incredulous stare before sagging into herself in a resigned way. "You Sawadas are going to be the death of me, you know that?"

And for an unknown reason to him, he smiled without a hint of remorse.

"Sorry about that."

* * *

As to my word, I had found that activity that I "planned" on doing later. To be truthful, though, it wasn't much of an activity as it was a slaughter. Or a soon to be one, at the very least. Tanpopo (or Dolce, still not too sure what to call her anymore) told me that Icarus had a mission for me and gave me a flash drive that could only be read once before shorting out and deleting the information within. I ignored her nervousness as she implored me to take the tracking necklace again, but I refused and simply left to take the plane to Italy with a simple note to mother that I was going on a scholarship trip to Italy while I left another note for Kyoya to give to Kosame. No doubt that she would have found out my connection, though I'm sure she already has an idea by now, if I had gone to her directly.

_'So, this is where Icarus wanted me to go to first.'_ Scanning the buildings below me, I nuzzled the sniper riffle on my back as I scanned for my target below. For what reason Icarus wanted this guy gone escapes me, but I can't say that I care too much. He gave me the information about the guy; useless information about how his family disowned him at the age of 16 when he refused to conform to his religious backgrounds and how he sold drugs on the streets to make ends meet. He was truly a pitiable person since his drug dealing had accidentally gotten him involved with the mafia, now he was with some big wig mafia family and in charge of their relations division.

_'Target sighted.'_ I trained the scope on him, aiming for the heart since I was still fairly new at this and if I missed, then I at least had a chance at hitting his main torso. Watching the orange haired man of 33 years talk, I kept him in the crosshairs of my scope until he stilled just long enough for me to pull the trigger. His body locked up unnaturally for a split second before he rag dolled down to the ground, his subordinates immediately going to him while others took cover and scouted for the shooter.

I withdrew immediately, swiftly setting my gun into a leather case before making sure my handgun was fully loaded and taking off. Instead of taking the normal way down, I jumped from the rooftop, my fingers barely grasping the edge of the four story building as I pulled myself up and continuing the journey until I landed on the rooftop of a music store known for producing rather talented musicians.

Calming my breathing down, I finally opened the rooftop's door and headed down the stairs while pretending to belong there. It seemed to work as no one really paid me any mind, simply glancing at me and going back to their guitars or trumpets. I stayed calm, letting my gaze flicker across the thin crowd that walked the Italian streets. Long enough to see their faces, but not long enough to seem suspicious, I let myself brush past a man in a rather expensive looking suit, undoubtably a mafioso, as he scanned the streets with a concealed weapon.

I walked down the street, shouldering my case nonchalantly but silently tense when I noticed a figure in the corner of my eye following me. My pace was kept calm and steady, but once I rounded the corner, I full out sprinted. Instead of sticking to the streets, I slipped into an ice cream shop where I sat at booth and stashed the case under the table so that it would be out of sight. Doing my hair up in a ponytail, I slipped the sunglasses off of my face and took off my jacket in an attempt to throw off my pursuers.

Masking my face in a genial smile, I scanned in the ice cream display in full view of the window. Hiding in plain sight is an unexpected way for a newby assassin to act, after all.

"Um, I'll have a scoop of coconut crush in a waffle cone, please." The older teenager seemed to be taken in with my hopelessly girly, and fake, voice as he smiled enough to make the corners of his eyes crinkle.

"Sure thing. Are you a foreigner?" He was making small talk, damn it. I was hoping he wouldn't bother me.

"Yes, how did you know?" He laughed as I tilted my head, scooping the pale yellow dessert into a cone and wrapping it up as he did so.

"You don't exactly look Italian, not that it's uncommon, but your slight accent kind of gives it away. That'll be three-fifty, miss." Handing him a crisp bill, I pocketed the change he gave me and took the cone to my booth. My back was mostly to the window and I had to sit at an angle to at least get a slight view out of it, but I made do with what I had as I ate my diary dessert.

_'Hm, coconut ice cream. It's not bad.'_ I nodded to myself as an almond crunched between my canines. Who knew coconuts and almonds worked in ice cream?

The door to the old fashioned shop suddenly let out a little jingle and I immediately busied myself with my ice cream when the flash of black suits caught my eyes.

"Excuse me, miss." Blinking innocently, I gazed up at the rough cut man. Squirming a bit, I let my wariness translate onto my face in an attempt to look like a young girl uncomfortable with the attention of strangers.

"Yes, is there something wrong?" A gasp escaped my lips as strong arms suddenly tugged at me. Letting out a panicked shriek, something that I felt slightly embarrassed doing, I struggled against his pull and used my meager weight in order to hold myself flush to the wall behind me. "What are you doing? Let go of me!"

"Hey! What are you doing?!" The boy behind the counter seemed to notice the commotion as he and another man came out from behind the counter, staring at the three men whom were manhandling me with contempt.

"Let go of that girl, this instant!" The older man approached, but stopped when a gun was pulled on him.

"Listen here, you two stay out of this or you'll be swimming with the fishes." I was vaguely aware of one of the men pulling my case out from under the table, my struggling was no use since the men were physically stronger than me and my kicks seemed to effect the man minutely. The two men from the ice cream shop seemed nervous, but glanced at me regardless in a way that said that they wanted to help but didn't want to get shot for it.

I was soon dragged out of the store and into a slim black car where the windows were tinted so that no one could see inside. My body was practically thrown in and I was pushed back once more when I lunged at the open door; my hand immediately went to the other passenger door, but it was locked as well.

"Stop struggling!" A bruising grip on my bicep made me stop and I soon found myself staring at one of the men, seemingly the youngest of the bunch.

"Hey now, is that any way to treat a lady?" I smirked at him, effectively getting a rise out of him. I didn't react as his grip tightened, painfully making my arm go numb until a certain rodent popped out and bit the hand. The man drew back with a yelp, crimson blood bubbling on his skin and dribbling down his wrist before he shifted it enough so that the blood didn't ruin his suit.

"Why you little!"

"Braverio, stop it."

"She killed Agnello, Gabriello." Braverio snarled in hatred, glaring at me with stormy grey eyes that spoke of all the suffering it wanted to put me through.

_'Huh, no mercy even with how young I am.'_

Gabriello sighed at the younger man, clearly unhappy but controlling his emotions well. "We don't know that yet, Braverio. Agnello still might make it in time, he was able to sense the shot and moved just in time so that it didn't hit his heart."

They quieted down when the third man entered the car, closing the door right as it started to roll into motion. He smoothed his jet black hair back and pocket his gun in a holster, sighing as he looked out the window.

"The shop owner and the boy will be quiet from now on."

"Did you kill them?" My voice broke them out of their short conversation, their eyes trailed to me before the man spoke again.

"No, I merely threatened them. We try not to kill innocents if we have any say in it." He paused as he assessed me, eyes roving around my face before a flash of pity came and went like lightning. For some reason, that irked me. "You're quite young, how old are you?"

"Pace, why bother making conversation with her?" Pace held his hand up to the more volatile member, imploring me to answer with his eyes. I stayed silent, examining him just as he did to me.

_'Well, two can play at this game.'_

"Why does my age matter? You'll kill me regardless if I was a thirty year old or a five year old."

"That is a matter of whether or not Agnello survives." Gabriello sent the calm man a warning glance, most likely telling him not to tell me too much. Once again Pace shooed him off with an ease that told me he has been in this business for quite some time. "He isn't a part of our family. Well, not mine at least." He amended before continuing, shooting the other two glances in the mean time. "His position in our family was merely a peacekeeping between our two families and now that there's a chance that he could die, they're going to be very upset. My famiglia may be more forgiving, but if their family calls for blood then there is a strong chance that you'll be put to death."

I snorted, ignoring the fact that it pissed off Braverio and caused Gabriello to send me a disapproving glance. "Office politics, huh? This is why I hate being tied down to people and organizations. I don't need anyone to tell me what I should do just because it would please them."

I let the little hamster nuzzle into my collarbone, paying it no mind as I made conversation with Pace. He was surprisingly easy to talk to despite the fact that he could very well be my executioner.

"Tell me, will I be tortured or will you make my death quick."

"Torture sounds good."

"I don't give a shit about what you think."

"Why you-"

"Braverio!"

"I hate it when you do that." The man grumbled as he rubbed the spot where Gabriello hit him. Said man huffed and lowered his hand, sending the man a look that said _don't act stupid then_.

I fell silent, oddly content with the situation as I watched the car weave in an out of traffic. A few times it even went under trucks, sliding in between the wheels of the larger vehicles before slipping out onto the other side. Pace must have caught my staring whenever we did pass under one of these trucks as he suddenly spoke, diverting his attention from the phone in his hand to me.

"Don't worry, Allonzo is an excellent driver. He used to be a stun driver before he moved onto being with us."

"I wasn't worried." Halfheartedly, I watched the roads as they blurred and morphed, putting me into that road hypnosis they all ways talk about in those driving handbooks. It was a comfort in itself until we finally turned into a more wooded area that had only a dirt path to follow until it came to gravel and a large gate.

"We're here." Gabriello commented on the obvious, pulling on the rope that was tied around my hands as he slid out of the car. He was at least courteous enough to help me out, but that didn't help me from snapping at him.

"I can walk myself." He nodded silently, slapping the back of Braverio's head when it looked like he was about to tug on the rope to make me fall. "Don't worry, I won't run. There's no point in doing it at this point."

"Smart girl." This Gabriello guy seemed to be a more taciturn man, choosing to believe me and saying little else as he dropped the lead on the rope so that I could walk myself. I nodded to him in halfhearted thanks before winding the rope up in my hands so that it wouldn't drag on the ground. Obviously, Braverio wasn't very happy with the leniency that Gabriello and Pace had shown me, but he seemed to not want to go against his seniors' decisions.

Soon enough, the three split up so that Gabriello headed up a set of stairs while Pace sent Braverio to go to the dining hall. He squashed his any resistance with a simple look and soon enough, the man was slinking away down a hall.

"This way." Compliantly, I followed the man into a flight of stairs lined in cobblestone and metal. I immediately knew where we were headed, but made no noise of complaint even as I was locked into a cell.

"There's a toilet you can use in here, you're quite lucky. Sometimes prisoners do not even get that much."

"Don't I feel special?" Scathingly, I rubbed my wrists once he had removed the rope. I quickly glanced about the rather drab cell before my gaze landed back onto the man, for the first time noticing how his weathered appearance was quite attractive on him.

"Hopefully you'll make it out of this alive. God knows how many young lives were snuffed out."

I didn't make a comment. There was no point in talk anymore, I could only sit and listen to the sounds of footfall as it faded down the hall.

"Hamu~"

"Yeah, I know." I didn't glance at the hamster, feeling quite embarrassed by the failure of the very first mission assigned to me.

"This sucks."

* * *

"He's dead."

"Hn? Who is?" Not moving from my position, I stared up at the ceiling in a feign of interest. My hand absentmindedly touching the darkening bruise on my cheek, courtesy of one bastard named Braverio. Hamu somehow found another pill for me to take, must have been an aspirin as it did numb the pain considerably.

"Agnello."

"So, I killed him." He didn't reaffirm what he said, both of us knowing what he really meant by the statement. "So, are they calling for my death or am I just going to rot here?"

I gladly accepted the bucket full of water and the small shampoo container that came with it. I shed my shirt and left my bra on as I dunked my head into the frigid waters, letting it drip over the container before lathering the suds into my oily scalp. If Pace was bothered by my indecency, he didn't show it as he took a chair and faced it so that he was looking down the hall instead of directly into the cell. Out of all the men that had visited me since I was locked down here, Pace was definitely the most considerate as he seemed to be the only one that understood that humans needed to bathe every once in a while or else they start getting fairly nasty, in more than one way.

"Our boss is trying to calm them down and convince them to keep you alive so that we know who your employer is." He sent a look towards the ceiling in thought. "Though, he is already feeble as he is now, seeing as he is still recovering from the mishap that occurred a month ago."

"Mishap?" I once again dunked my head into the bucket, swishing my hair around in order to get the soap off. Next I washed my face and used a handkerchief Pace had lent me a few days ago, wiping it under some essential body parts before plopping it into the bucket where it sank and floated just below the surface. The water fell out of my hair in large droplets as I squeezed my tresses.

"Yes, the boss and his son had gotten into a fight and he was injured quite severely."

"His own son hurt him?" I turned an interested eye to the man, eyeing his face for any hint of deeper emotions before giving up. I instead turned to the little tray of sand that Pace had a subordinate fetched for me; it amused me how confused he was with the request, but neither of us took the time to explain what it was for. The little tray moved, scooting across the floor every once in a while as Hamu rolled around in it, giving himself a sand bath as the two of us watch him.

"You seem quite fond of him."

I glanced at him, unsure of whether fond was the right word or not. Deciding it wasn't too far from the truth, I nodded. "I guess you could say that. He's been with me for quite some time now. He's a bit odd though." I watched him scratch behind his ear like a dog before going back to his sand.

"What's his name?"

"Hamu."

Pace blinked and raised an eyebrow on his normally impassive face. "Is that Japanese pronunciation of Ham?"

I stared at him for a moment, realizing that how fitting the name was at that moment. "I never thought of it that way. My mother named him after the sound he makes, though he does have a penchant for ham, so I guess it is more than a coincidence. What is it?"

Turning my head to him, I noticed him standing up and laying a hand on his gun. He didn't speak and I didn't push him to as we both listened and watched for whatever it is that we were waiting for. A sudden explosion took place and I shielded my eyes while the man dodged a rather large piece of debris.

"Get the prisoner!" A voice yelled loud enough to make my ears ache. Suddenly, the bars to my cell fell uselessly to the floor in chorus of metal against concrete. I was surprised when a set of hands grabbed me, throwing me over their thin shoulders as they laughed.

"Shishishi, can do." Wildly, I looked up and tried to make sense of the situation. Surprise colored my face when I spotted Pace's face, but he wasn't doing anything to get me back. My vision was soon deterred when a cloth was tied over my eyes and something hit the back of my neck. The person's kept laughing and faintly, I felt the shock of their feet hitting the ground as they ran.

"Oh my, do be careful with the girl!" A flamboyant voice called out to the person carrying me and I heard him click his tongue in annoyance before laughing again, his voice warbling through my quickly dissipating consciousness.

"The prince does what he wants."

At that moment, I decided that being rescued by a prince was definitely not as romantic and fairytale-like as many believed it to be.

* * *

** Author's Notes:**

**Longest chapter yet, I'm surprised that I was able to stick with writing this much in just two days! So, tell me what you guys think!**

**10th Squad 3rd Seat:**** Odd, I'll have to look up why she was so old during that arc then. Huh, guess we discovered a plot hole after all. Hey, that means I can do whatever I want to explain that (not that I couldn't do that before)!**

**hyawpii: Hopefully you got my PM and you know who Tanpopo is now. Don't hesitate to ask me if you have questions!**

**Enigma of Anime: You know it! ;D That would have been an unnecessary attack, wouldn't it? She just comes in and is like "bitch, I want my bling back!" And here you are, an update as (not) promised.**

**Chiasmus: Well, I'm glad you don't find it cliche. I honestly do like taking normally cliche ideas and putting a slight twist on them myself. It makes it a bit interesting, you know?**

**Allykrau: True, so painfully true. And thank you very much. :)**

**Singular Poisonous Ashes: I'll admit, patience is not my best virtue as well. I want things fast and easy. ;) And yes, poor Tanpopo. Hey, maybe they'll get so used to walking in on each other that they no longer care about personal things like that with each other (Fufufu~ that's an amusing though, is it not?).**

**sousie: Do you mean Nakuka or Tanpopo? Well, I guess both of them could be pitied.**

**Guest: I'm glad someone finds it funny. Not many people tell me if they find it funny or not, so I kind of have to take a crap shoot in entertaining people. And it should, shouldn't it? :)**

**Prince: The betrayal is real!**

**GreenOnBlack: Quite the big "uh oh". Crap is about to hit the fan, man!**

**Viviene001: Hopefully you're still alive, I tried updating as soon as I could. ^_^**

**Question: If you could change one thing about your favorite anime/manga, what would it be? Also, do you think I should keep calling Tanpopo Dolce or just use her originally introduced name?**

**Answer: I have many favorites, but I'll go with Ghost Hunt for this one. I hated how Mai is never yelled at for acting brash and she acts out of control when she gets upset. She just cries and everyone immediately comforts her. I would change that so that she would have repercussions for her actions and that Naru and her wouldn't get together (I mean, they aren't, but they technically are since the creator considers them together). Because let's face it, she fell in love with Gene, not Naru. They even acknowledged it at the end of the first manga (rant over).**


	16. Choking, Play it Cool

**Congratulations to Immortalis Cruor Elf for being the 300th follower! ****Congratulations to cascioli for being the 120th reviewer!**

**And thanks to Starlover18 for putting that little scene with Bel in their review. It was too funny of a situation to pass up, I just had to use it.**

**Also, apologies. I got kinda lazy in some parts, so forgive me for making this chapter such a hodge podge of random scenes.**

* * *

"Hey, what the fuck!" Nakuka had been tied up for a while now and despite the fact that she escaped her potential execution, she still wasn't very happy about being abducted during her "bath time."

"Ushishishi. Be quiet peasant. You're as loud as the shark commander."

"VOOOOII! What did you say, Bel?! I'll cut you up!" Nakuka felt irritated as the loud voice sounded off close by. It was bad enough that she was blind for the moment, but his yelling would definitely make her deaf too.

"Shut the fuck up and get this blindfold off of me!"

They easily ignored the brunette over the assassin's shoulder and that only made the girl more irate. So, she settled with listening to her surroundings as they finally got into some type of vehicle after a bit of running. She listened on to their conversation, but they obviously left out important information in her presence.

"The boss will be pleased by this." A man with a deep voice spoke, but something in it made her skin crawl. Was it the adoration in his voice? Whatever it was, it creeped her out.

"Hmph, I would have rather count my money instead of wasting my time on this girl." Nakuka huffed in distaste at the squeaky voice.

_'It wasn't my choice to be kidnapped by you guys either.'_

"Ushi~ We're here!"

"Ow, you fucker!" Nakuka let out a hiss when the door she was leaning on suddenly opened, but the person who opened it didn't seem to care as they, once again, threw her over their shoulder.

"Oh, do be careful, Bel-dear! You wouldn't want to hurt the poor thing." Belphegor laughed as he told the flamboyant man that the prince does what he wants while he kicked in a door.

"Hey, boss! We're back!" Squalo shouted into the seemingly empty halls of the Varia headquarters, but his troubles were only met with the shattering of a wine glass against the back of his head. "VOOOII, what was that for shitty boss!"

"You were being annoying, trash."

The silver haired commander wiped a hand over his head, trying to remove shards of glass and keep the red liquid from drenching his coat. It was bad enough that his silver hair was now red, but now he smelled of alcohol. He scowled at the mess and mentally noted how Xanxus must have been taking it easy on the alcohol that day.

"You smell bad, loud mouth."

"VOI! What was that?!"

"Ushishi, the shark commander was told off by the exhibitionist."

"I'm not an exhibitionist. You guys were the ones that abducted me from my cell." Nakuka's eyebrow twitched and she narrowed her eyes behind the blindfold, tensing when she felt the ushishi-guy moved his hand on her bare back as he suddenly dropped her onto some type of chair. Unfortunately, her head hit the arm of the couch and left the back of her neck to pulse in pain. "Agh! If this is how princesses are saved, then I'll pass the next time I'm a damsel in distress."

"Kaching, what is with this rodent?!" The brunette immediately paid attention to the so called prince. Her mind immediately connected what was happening and it was only confirmed when she heard a unique squeak of a hamster.

"Hamu!"

"Hey, if you even breathe on that hamster, then I'll tie you to a pole and eviscerate you with a hot spoon!"

"She's too annoying."

With that final sentence, she knew it was coming but couldn't do much against it.

"Don't you fucking-"

She was cut off by a sharp hit to the side of the neck, leaving her to angrily fall unconscious as the Varia hellishly frolicked amongst themselves. And the last thing she heard was the annoying laughter of her _charming _prince... again.

* * *

Waking up was a struggle in itself. I was tended to by some random nurse ladies, but I shooed them away when I noticed once of them tried giving me a sponge bath. I may be okay with stripping down to my undergarments in dire situations, but having someone bathe me like I was a newborn was just downright degrading. Glancing around, I noticed there weren't any calendars around me. So, deciding to go to my next possible resource, I turned my head towards a woman who looked about thirty years old.

"Well, you've been asleep for about two days, so that would make it Friday the 15th." Blinking belatedly, I grunted and struggled to sit up. "Oh, don't sit up quite yet! You're still in pretty rough shape, I'm guessing that you haven't been in the best of conditions for a while. Seems like you used up the last bit of your energy during all that excitement. It didn't help that Belphegor was so rough with you."

_'Tch. No kidding. I hardly call one meal a day consisting of just leftovers and water for a month 'best conditions.' I only made it through with those vitamin and mineral supplements that Hamu managed to obtain.'_

At the thought, my eyes roved around for the furry creature, only feeling satisfied when I spotted a flash of orange and white nestled among a pile of bandages next to my bed. My suddenly hit the pillow as a hand forcefully kept me down by my forehead.

"I said to not sit up." I blinked in disbelief at the nurse, surprised at her sudden change in personality before I felt anger.

"Then don't touch me."

"Ah. It seems like you are one of those types."

Glaring at her, I didn't deem her with a response. Instead, I let the woman exit the room with a rather harsh bang of the door. Her annoyed face made me frown as I sat up once more, ignoring her orders and scoffing at the door before calling Hamu over.

"Bitch... Hey, Hamu." Said hamster perked up, curiosity gleaming in his black eyes as he stood on his hind legs. "Do you know where we are?"

The little hamster shook his head, making me sigh before wincing from bruise that I must have gotten from that guy's shoulder when he roughly carried me on his shoulder.

"Son of a bitch, bastard didn't have to be so rough." At the scurrying on my bed sheets, I glanced down at Hamu and his abnormally puffed up cheeks. "Hey, what's wrong? Did you just eat something you weren't suppose to? Are you throwing up? Can hamsters even throw up? Well, just don't do it on me."

To my surprise, Hamu started to dry heave, making me leave away in an attempt to keep hamster vomit off of me. Though, what came out of his mouth wasn't vomit.

"A... pill...?" Picking the nondescript blue and white pill up, I examined it. It looked like a normal capsule with one end being blue while the other was white, but I couldn't understand why Hamu would have it in his mouth. "Did you try to eat this, Hamu? You can chock on this, you know?"

He shook his head.

"Then... did you steal it from the nurse?"

Again, he shook his head.

"Then what? It's not like you could have made this." Deadpanning at the rodent, I waited for him to shake his head again but he stayed oddly still as he kept his gaze to mine. "Eh? There's no way you could make this."

He puffed up his cheeks again, this time in indignation. "Hamu!"

"Alright, alright. I'll believe you for now. So what? Is this how you got me those pills for Kyoya and I that one time, and that those times in the cell?"

"Hamu! Hamu!"

"You must be one magical ball of fur, then. Well, I guess it is believable; Reborn does have a transforming chameleon."

I fell silent and switched my eyes to the door, suddenly sensing someone approaching right before they opened the door to reveal a gay peacock. Well, it was a guy with a green mohawk, but he seemed flamboyant enough.

"Your awake, sweety! I heard from Alberta that you were awake, isn't she such a doll?"

"Yeah, the sweetest." I deadpanned at him, not bothering to put up a friendly front for the man as I remembered the rather violent nurse.

"You seem well. What's your name, sweety?"

I eyed him, not exactly trusting this seemingly friendly man. "It's Nemesia."

"What a lovely name! My name is Lussuria. I'm the mommy of the Varia." I blinked, questioning if I translated the man's Italian correctly before continuing slowly.

"Do you know English, by chance. My Italian is still not very good."

"Sure thing! Us assassins aren't worth our salt if we weren't able to understand key languages!"

I was quite relieved with his sudden switch to English. I haven't used the language much since I died and being able to use it felt good. Besides, misleading him by thinking I'm from a country with native English speakers may throw him off from finding information about me. The less he knew, the better.

"Oh dear, you don't seem to have a shirt on. I'll have to fetch you one later, but right now we have to meet the boss."

And so I was ushered out of the room with nothing but a bra and a pair of pants on. Once we exited into the hall the smell of steak cooking met us and made me harshly press an arm into my stomach in order to stifle the rumble that threatened to escape it. Ignoring that, I noticed how the decor was surprisingly tasteful; it was definitely not how I would picture a place full of such _eccentric_ people.

"Where are we going?" I shot a glance at the mohawked man as he continued to ramble on about fashion or something akin to it.

"Oh? Well, we're heading to the dining room right now. It's time for lunch."

"Steak for lunch? Isn't that usually a dinner item?"

"Boss really likes his steak and tequila."

"Right..." I fell silent while I adjusted the black bra I was wearing. Hopefully there weren't any perverts in that room or I just might have to shoot their eyes out; oh and I would find a way to make that possible. These Varia folks did leave me with my gun after all, though they probably removed all the bullets from the chamber. Disregarding the fact, I followed Lussuria through a set of thick cherry wood doors where I was greeted with the sight of people sitting in chairs around a table.

"Hello, boss~"

He sent a rather... flirtatious smile toward the scarred man at the head of the table while I blanched at the sight. These two would be the worst looking couple in the world, not event counting how creepy they both were in their respective ways. Hell, I could care less if someone liked dick or not, but keep that shit away from me. Romance was uncomfortable and I didn't want to be involved.

And so I let a small shiver crawl over my spine before taking the seat the flamboyant man directed me to. It was comfortable, not surprising considering how pampered these pansies appeared, but I concentrated more on the food that was plated and served to me by frightened cooks.

_'Hm, medium rare. The way I like it.'_

And so I cut into the piece of meat and gently placed it into my mouth despite how hungry I was. I'd be damned before I ate without manners in front of these weirdos.

"Ushishi~ Mammon's cheeks are puffier than usual."

"Hey, shtop it!" The baby's speech came out wrong as Belphegor stretched his cheeks. Blankly staring at them, I continued to cut at my meal before I recognized the voice.

"You're the prince fucker who blindfolded me and harassed Hamu."

A scowl darkened my face as I used my steak knife to deflect a knife sent my way and for a moment I contemplated whether I should risk trying to kill this guy or not.

"The prince doesn't like the way you addressed him. Try again."

"I don't take orders, you shit. You and your knives can fuck right off." Plucking the offending weapon out of the back of my chair, I sent it quickly toward the blond and purposely avoided hitting him. I wasn't stupid, after all. I was surrounded by his friends, so killing him would just be suicide.

"Kaching. Exhibitionist really wants to be killed." His arm suddenly lashed out, but the knife headed for someone other than me. We both watched in satisfaction as the silver haired commander easily dodged it, but looking furious all the same.

"VOOII! What the fuck was that for, Bel?!"

"Ushi~ You were laughing at the prince."

"You're one egotistical bastard, you know that?"

"Hey, be quiet! The boss is trying to eat right now!" My eyebrow twitched as the man with a face full of piercings spoke up, making me want to punch his dumb face in. Who could blame me, though? After being captive for so long, I was bound to get a little moody. It only brought me satisfaction as this "boss" character shot at the men, instantly making the rowdy table quiet down.

"Shut up, trash. You're disturbing my meal."

I huffed, but said no more and returned to my meal. _'Looks like Mr. Angry-brows over there is the only agreeable one.'_

And so I reflected on the whole situation up until my conversation with Lussuria when I woke up.

_"I'm the mommy of the Varia!"_

_"Us assassins aren't worth our salt if we weren't able to understand key languages!"_

I chocked down the steak, covering up a wince as I felt the piece roughly move down my esophagus. Smoothly, I tilted my glass of water up to my mouth and kept my cool despite the situation.

Because fuck. I was in the Varia's Headquarters, a headquarter for top grade assassins. The same assassins who participated in the battle for the Vongola rings.

And they were the same assassins who hated my brother's guts and by extension... _mine._

* * *

Haru was having a grand time as usual. Even though there was a light sheen of sweat on her forehead and her body felt uncomfortably hot with her unitard under her school uniform, she still felt refreshed from the gymnastic club's meeting. She truly felt alive when she was able to twist and bend in ways that seemed not humanly possible, especially when she was in rather risky positions. Whether it was balancing on a beam or doing a hand stand on a three meter wall, she loved showing off her prowess and having people complimenting her on it. She would even say that she championed her flexibility over her costume-making abilities. Despite her love of making costumes, she couldn't help but marvel at those Jamez Bohnd movies and how cool the male spy was as he completed each mission.

"Hahi, Haru wonders how long it has been since she watched one of those?" She tilted her head, thinking over it for a moment before waving the thought off and sneaking a glance around her. She suddenly got into position and stuck her back against the wall, sneaking about before flipping herself on top of the wall that lined the roads and houses. Under her breath, she hummed a spy song and whipped her head around, pretending to be on the search for anything that would catch her attention.

"Yopah!" She let out a victorious breath when she lunged and landed on the sidewalks across the street; rolling and using her momentum to pop up onto her feet, Haru suddenly came to face a certain honey eyed girl whom was eyeing her with a surprised look in her eyes.

"Kyoko-chan!" Haru squeaked as she straightened up. Her face quickly turned a light shade of red and her hands flew up to her face in an attempt to hide her embarrassment.

"Haru-chan, that was amazing. I didn't know you could move like that."

Despite the smile she wore, Haru's embarrassment faded quickly as she noticed the lack of enthusiasm Kyoko usually met Haru with. Her dark eyebrows knitted together in concern, observing how Kyoko's smile didn't seem to be at its full sparkly capacity; admittedly, she was jealous of her captivating smile at times, especially when it captured the attention of a certain Sawada Tsunayoshi, but she couldn't help but feel that it felt wrong to see the girl without it.

"Is something wrong, Kyoko-chan?"

Haru instantly felt worried when Kyoko averted her eyes, biting her lower lip in thought before she shook her head slowly.

"It's just... Nakuka-chan has been gone for a while."

"Nakuka...chan?" She blinked in confusion. When had Kyoko gotten so close to the girl that she started to called her that? "Ah, Haru is sure she'll be fine, Kyoko-chan!"

"Really, you think so?"

"Mhn!" Haru nodded happily, glad to see that her friend was brought out of her rotten mood. "She is related to Tsuna-kun, after all! If anything happened, then Haru is sure she'll be able to get out of it!"

"You're right, Haru-chan. Thank you."

"No need to thank Haru, Kyoko-chan! Now, what do you say about coming with Haru and meeting a new friend that I had found at the cake shop. She's really into manga and anime, but seems too shy to talk about it with people. What do you say?"

Haru watched as Kyoko thought about it for a second before she relaxed and nodded.

"That sounds great, Haru-chan."

"Great! Let's go meet her!"

With a small tug to Kyoko's arm, Haru moved them towards the cake shop they frequently visit, a happy aura enveloping the two as they caught up on what the other had been up to.

* * *

Pace observed the damage done to the third basement's cells. He sighed as he marked yet another note of what needed to be replaced.

"I can't believe those fuckers! How can they just go against their superiors like that!" Pace resisted sighing as Braverio raged on. Gabriello was currently taking care of matters with their famiglia, so we wasn't able to keep the younger mafioso in check. This left him with the task of keeping watch of the man, well, not quite; Braverio simply decided to tag along with him and complain to one of the only people who wouldn't snap at his whining.

"Hey, Pace! Why don't we go and take that girl back from them?! Can't we order them and since we are a part of the main branch; they work for us, don't they? So, we should just do that!"

"The ninth is still recovering and our relationship with the Varia is not in the best of shape right now. Between the shifting ties our allied famiglias and the Knights of the Red Lily, Agnello being killed is hardly our main priority."

"What?! Of course he should be your main priority! The Vongola needs the alliance with us after the Beccio left and Trad 6 became more questionable."

Sliding his pen into his breast pocket, Pace walked past the man and forced him to try and keep up with his long strides. "You underestimate the influence of your famiglia, Braverio. They are gaining power quickly, yes, but it is not something that will cripple the Vongola if we were to lose your alliance."

From his years of experience, he knew the blonde would be gritting his teeth by now. He was the type who couldn't control himself very well. Ignoring the man's fuming, he continued to make his way to the stairs, knowing that Braverio will say something a few seconds.

"Hey!-"

"Boss." Pace blinked in surprise, acknowledging the wheelchair-bound man in front of him with a small bow.

"I see you're taking care of the situation as usual, Pace. Unfortunately, it seems that being bed ridden had kept me from attending to my duties."

"As long as you are healthy, I think the famiglia will understand."

"Yes, well, I heard that we ran into a bit of trouble during my time out."

Pace bowed his head, making a sound of confirmation and shooting Braverio a silencing look before continuing. "Yes, Agnello was killed about two months ago and we kept the sniper in a cell here before they were broken out by the Varia."

"The Varia?" The old man laced his fingers together as his eyelids slipped closed for a brief moment. Pace felt sympathy for his boss, knowing how much more stress was suddenly added to the man. He could say that he definitely did not want to be in his position, but he would try his best to shoulder the burden. "Well, I didn't expect Xanxus to forgive me so easily."

"Boss..." He shot a glance to uncharacteristically silent Braverio; the ninth boss caught onto his meaning as he suddenly called the man out.

"Braverio, would you and Thomas please check with Marzia's division?"

Said blond shot him a surprised look. Knowing he couldn't disobey strongly hinted order, Braverio nodded to his superiors before exiting with the man who wheeled the ninth Vongola boss in. The two men waited for them to leave before Timoteo deemed it safe.

"What is it that you would like to say, Pace?"

"It's the sniper, Boss. She's just a little girl; I don't think she really knew the full implications that came with the death of Agnello."

Timoteo blinked, realization flashed in his eyes before he nodded to his subordinate. "You let them take her."

Pace lowered his head. A small hint of shame filled him as he betrayed the Ninth's trust, but he couldn't say he regretted his decision. To be honest, he didn't know why he let the girl escape, but he supposed that he saw something worth keeping alive in her.

"I'm sorry, Ninth."

"No, I understand why you would do so. You have always been softhearted towards the youngsters."

"There's one more thing." Pace paused and caught the eyes of his boss, realizing just how desperately they needed the Tenth to take over his position. "It seems like Agnello's killer was someone you knew quite well. Though, I don't know why she would be out here in the first place."

"She?" The gears turned in the old man's head as he thought about the possible people that could fit Pace's vague description. "And she is quite young as well... It couldn't be."

Pace apologized once again. Both men knew that Timoteo's luck with younger people never really panned out in the end. After the death of his three sons and the Cradle Incident with Xanxus, the Tenth's sister going against the Vongola must have been a blow to him.

"I'm sure she must have had a reason to do this, Boss. When I was talking to her, she didn't seem to realize what family I belonged to. I'm thinking someone sent her here and didn't tell her everything about the job."

"Yes, I'm hoping that is the case, despite how unideal that situation is." His snow white eyebrows knitted together and his fingers came up to pinch the bridge of his nose. "Reborn informed me that Kosame has a suspicion that Icarus may be involved with all of this."

"Ah, it seems like a viable answer. Truthfully, I've been having suspicions that Braverio's famiglia may have gotten some of their power from his influence; some of their weapons had the golden wings of Icarus."

"This is serious, but there is not much we can do. He is mostly likely in Namimori, but with his backing within the mafia, we can't touch him without serious backlash." Pace nodded. He felt as worn out as the Ninth looked, politics was never something he liked, after all. He liked to do what's right, but that just isn't possible when he had to consider the safety of his famiglia.

"For now, keep your ears open and send some of our men over to Namimori."

"Yes, sir." And so Pace grabbed the handles of the wheelchair and rolled him into the rarely used elevator.

_'This generation is going to change everything, whether it is for better or for worse will be revealed soon enough.'_

* * *

**Omake: Confession (300 follower special)**

"Takeshi."

"Huh? Oh, it's you, Nakuka-chan!" Nakuka let out a hum of acknowledgment, shifting uncomfortably as the tall baseball player wrapped a friendly arm around her shoulders with a laugh on his lips. She took the interaction from the boy, tolerating it for once before he noticed her quietness. Dark eyebrows rose and hazel eyes blinked in curiosity as Takeshi watched the younger girl shifted her gaze around, but never quite meeting his eyes.

"Is there something wrong, Nakuka?"

"Uh, no... Nothing's wrong, it's just..." She played with a envelope in her hand. Her fingers traced the edges in hesitance before she finally took a deep breath and shoved the letter towards the boy. "You're popular, right? What do I say to them?"

Yamamoto opened the letter, minding the ripped heart sticker that used to seal the envelope, and scanned the content with interested eyes. Once he was done, he sent a bright smile towards the girl, making her grumble in disagreement when he congratulated her.

"As I was saying, you get confessed to a lot, right? So, how do I turn them down? You're the only one I can ask; Gokudera's too angry to ask and Tsunayoshi isn't even an option." She sighed and gazed off into the distance, spotting a random student before turning her gaze back to him. "I would just tell them 'no', but apparently that's too harsh according to Hana. I actually think she wants me to get together with the guy." A scoff left her as she flicked her hair over her shoulder. "Like hell, that's going to happen."

"Ah, well I don't know much about rejecting people nicely, but I'll help as much as I can!" The boy didn't seem to catch the exasperated look Nakuka sent him, clearly not believing his words as he casted a toned arm over her shoulder and carted her away to discuss their plans regarding to the mystery admirer. Unbeknownst to them, a pair of green eyes were watching them at the moment, clearly misunderstanding the situation before dashing off with the shout of a familiar name.

~Transition_\\('-')/_Transition~

"HIIEE! Nakuka confessed to Yamamoto!" That was is, Tsuna was about to have a heart attack. Hell has finally frozen over and pigs have started to fly. Honestly, he would have never expected Nakuka to be the one to confess to anyone. Sure, she was commanding and preferred to take matters into her own hands, but she only expressed disgust when confronted with the lovey-dovey scenes at movie theaters or a passing couple on the streets.

On top of that, she confessed to Yamamoto Takeshi; the boy who was practically the definition of cheerful and forgiving, a stark contrast to his younger sister. Yet, Tsuna couldn't help but feel uneasy about the situation.

"What are we going to do, Jyuudaime? That baseball-idiot doesn't deserve the title of Juudaime's brother-in-law!"

Tsuna let out a panicked squeak, his hands anxiously twisted into his hair as an image of his younger sister in a wedding gown with a certain baseball player appeared in his mind.

"They're not getting married, Gokudera! Ah, they're too young to. That's right, they're too young..."

If he was in a more sane state of mind, Tsuna would have felt pathetic over his current state. He was even reassuring himself at this point and Gokudera honestly wasn't helping the situation.

"That's right, Juudaime! I won't him take that spot!" Just like the fire he lit his dynamites with, his eyes flashed in determination as he clenched his fist. "I will take the title of Juudaime's brother-in-law!"

"That sounds like an interesting idea."

"Reborn!" Once again, Reborn ignored his desperate cries, choosing to smirk and tilt his fedora at the prospect of another impending plan to harass his student.

"How about it then, we will have a competition for Tsuna's little sister's hand in marriage."

"Reborn, she's not getting married! She can't! She's not marrying Yamamoto or Gokudera!"

"Of course she's not getting married, it's a formality, Dame Tsuna. The marriage would be later in the future. So, if you don't want to hand her over to anyone, you better fight with your dying will."

Suddenly, Tsuna felt all his energy leave him and fell to the floor in shock. Ignoring the shake of his shoulder from Gokudera, Tsuna once again fell into despair.

_'No, there's no way I can win.'_

Transition_\\('-')/_Transition~

If the situation didn't make Tsuna queasy in the first place then the appearance of the crowd of men definitely did. Some of them looked like they were older than his father for Pete's sake! That fact alone almost made Tsuna's spirit leave his body, not being able to stand the idea of his younger sister marrying a man who could be their grandfather's age.

"Reborn who are these people?!"

"Being the Boss's brother-in-law is a huge honor for anyone, Dame Tsuna. It also helps with connections and one's standing in the the mafia, of course there would be quite a crowd with this event. We'll have to weed out the weaklings, though. That's why we'll be holding a series of five events to determine the winner."

"That's crazy! You can't decide who will marry her through some games!"

"Why not? It seems like a good idea to me."

"Shamal!"

"Well, I only feel like participating because Nakuka's pretty cute. Don't you think?" The older man sent a glance at the younger boy who was gripping his stomach with a green face. "I'm not treating that."

"No, it's not like I was going to ask you." Tsuna muttered miserably.

"Don't worry, Juudaime! I'll be sure to win your sister's freedom."

"Gokudera..." Tears almost fell from his eyes as Gokudera flashed him a thumbs up.

_'Maybe this isn't hopeless after all.'_

"That's right, Tsuna. We'll do our best."

"I don't need your help, Baseball Idiot!"

_'Ah... maybe it is, after all...'_ Tsuna slumped his shoulders at their arguing.

"Extreme, fight to your extreme ability!"

"Nii-san!"

"Keep it down, herbivore, or else I'll bite you to death."

"Hiieee, Hibari-san?!" The male sent him a steely glare, making let out a quieter shriek under his breath before Reborn's announcement through a suspiciously green microphone caught his attention.

"And now, we'll start the first event. The first thirty contestants to make it to the finish line will move on to the next round!"

"Hiiieee!"

"Herbivore." Tsuna blanched as the older male started to approach, tonfas out with a dangerous glint. Taking no chance, Tsuna bolted, his cause for doing so completely vanishing as he focused on making it out alive.

"Hm." Reborn smirked in triumph as he watched his student take off. Gokudera's bombs detonated and took out many of the candidates, but the boy didn't seem to care at the moment due to the bloodthirsty teen on his tail. Everything was going according to plan.

~Transition_\\('-')/_Transition~

"Good job, No Good Tsuna. You've made it to the final stage and managed to escape Hibari."

"That's right, Juudaime! You're amazing! That antisocial freak has nothing on you! I'll have to show you what I'm made of, too!"

"How wonderful, Hayato. I'm glad that you have finally become a man; fighting for love is a sign of manhood."

"Agh! Bianchi!"

Ignoring the fallen boy, Reborn shot his gun into the sky and gained the attention of the dozen or so contestants still present. "This is the last event. With this one, we'll decide who gets to marry Nakuka. We need someone who displays the courage to shout their love out to the world, so let's hear it."

There was a chorus of shouts and Tsuna reluctantly joined in as his face burned in embarrassment. Much to his surprise, Reborn held onto a Leon mic.

"That was a very energetic shout. It's difficult to decide who wins; how about you?"

"Wait, Reborn!" Tsuna's eyes almost fell out of his head when Reborn pointed to a random adult man with stubble on his face. He shouted in joy which caused the younger boy to look around desperately, clinging to hope as his finally came to Shamal.

"Can't you do anything?!"

"Sorry, but I don't help boys. Besides, I'm more of a free man. Marriage can't tie me down."

"If you're so against it, why don't we ask the person of interest." All of a sudden, he turned to Nakuka who looked at him with a wary expression. "Would you marry any of these men?"

The crowd looked on hopefully while the young girl ignored quickly delivered her verdict.

"No."

A disappointed moan spread through the crowd and Nakuka watched in confusion as the men slunk away.

"Ahaha! I wonder what they were doing here."

"Mn, it's best not to ask." The girl nodded to the taller boy. "Thanks for the help. That guy took the rejection well."

"It's no problem, Nakuka-chan."

"Huh, what are you talking about?" Tsuna blinked in surprise. Honestly, he felt much better now that the other males were gone from the vicinity.

"Oh, Tsuna! Nakuka-chan asked me to help her reject a secret admirer." He pulled out the pink envelope which made Gokudera, who had recovered from his previous faint, jump up in recognition.

"That's the love letter she gave you!"

"Showing. The love letter I was showing to him." She plucked the letter from his tan hands and tossed it into the trash conveniently placed next to her. "What was all that about, anyway?"

Tsuna deflated as he ignored the surprised looks he got. '_So, this whole thing was for nothing?'_

"Nothing. It was nothing."

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

**hoshikasa: I take it that you like Belphegor. And don't worry, I'll bring him back eventually/somehow.**

**Seere Klein: Thanks for the feedback, I'll keep that in mind the next time I write an interaction between the two.**

**Guest: True that. That's why they're so fun, nothing goes right with them.**

**10th Squad 3rd Seat: And duly noted, I'm actually quite impartial to the name Dolce myself (though I'll have to see how things pan out). And I love Law, he's just so cool! Ace was also cool, I just bawled when he died. And you are, aren't you? I'm truthfully still trying to figure him out myself. -_-'**

**ddmahan992: Hell yeah, they're here! Start the party!**

**Allykrau: You know it. ;) And I guess you could say that, and that would technically be correct. They'll have fun interactions, just like Hibari and Nakuka. She just attracts those bad attitude guys, you know?**

**Viviene001: Belphegor is awesome, isn't he?**

**cascioli: Quite the harrowing situation. But Nakuka will definitely make it out alive; it would be kind of a lame ending if she died here, wouldn't it?**

**Starlover18: I quite like it myself. They don't really react like normal people either, so it's pretty fun to write. And yes, that would be accurate, her shirt's still off. And I could never leave Hamu behind, he's too cool for that! That's true, I love Hamatro, but he mostly went out to have fun with his friends. By the way, thanks for the feedback and the situation with Bel, I just couldn't resist putting that in the story.**

**FlyingFuck: It was quite sudden, wasn't it? ;)**

**Elle Abel: That she did.**


	17. School can be a Weird Place

**Thanks to these new followers/favorites!**

**Followers: Kaiko-pyon, Kuro Neko to Kuro Bara, Crom Cruaich, YatogamiKushina, LuNaxXxSoLe, Winter's Folly, Angel-san, LuzElvaParra17, lkyu, Dragon of Selene, LilPrincess95, J13K6N99, Redsnidget, cercueil noir, Frost-Prime1340, PolyxenaLovegood, Yukimi Himenou, pinkus-pyon, zodiakdemon, Null0402, Kuraihikaru, SkyLion27, The Chaos of the Stars, Pandawasmyballpen, LadyOrange101a**

**Favorites: RainyApples, Kiyou-kun, YatogamiKushina, Winter's Folly, megamiaouh, LuzElvaParra17, Dragon of Selene, Redsnidget, cercueil noir, Frost-Prime1340, Yukimi Himenou, pinkus-pyon, Nymphadora Jackson, Kuraihikaru**

**Sorry this chapter took so long! In truth, this chapter was suppose to be longer, but I figured its been a while and there was already quite a lot in this chapter; so, please enjoy!**

* * *

"Okay, so let me get this straight... You guys 'saved' me because you just wanted to irritate my captors?"

I resisted the urge to pinch the bridge of my nose in irritation, instead opting to reach for my drink while watching the other idiot assassins splash around in the water.

The green straw in my glass became less vibrant as strawberry daiquiri shot up through it and into my mouth, but even the delightfully fruity drink couldn't distract me from the cold that numbed my hand; eventually, it forced me to put the drink down onto the side table. My hand rose to block the rays of sun and I found my head turning to look at the older male lounging next to me, clearly not bothered by the heat.

"That's the dumbest shit I've ever heard. But disregarding that, why did you all force me to come with you to the beach?"

"You dare question Xanxus-sama's decisions?!"

"God won't even be able to save you if you keep annoying me, trash."

The drink was raised to my lips once again as I smirked against my straw when I saw that I had effectively gotten a rise out of the perverted-looking man. Man, he should really get rid of that facial hair, makes it look like he would abduct any child within a five mile radius. Disregarding that, ignoring the idiot came pretty easily as I relaxed in the lounge chair next to angry brows.

Despite his seemingly volatile anger, he was rather relaxed most of the time and didn't do anything to make me want to rip his throat out. Strangely enough, it seemed like we both came to an agreement that we're already surrounded by annoying idiots, so might as well not make each other another enemy to be annoyed about.

"Exhibitionist, the Prince commands you to fetch him a peasant's ball."

"You mean 'beach' ball, and no. Go get it yourself, you rat bastard; you have legs, so use them." Lazily, I rolled over onto my stomach and propped myself up. The dark sunglasses on my face block out the rather hideous smile Bel was making, though I could clearly see the strain in it. Oh, did I make the prince mad?

"Ushishi, the exhibitionist is going to pay dearly for insulting the prince."

"Is that so?" I raised an eyebrow. "Well, that's a problem." Another twitch in Bel's mouth told me how irritated he was becoming. His irritation and knives were easily ignored as well since Levi blocked it from hitting me, claiming that it would have hit his dear boss. Once again, I scoffed at the absurdity of the situation before snapping my fingers and immediately notifying a terrified waiter that I wanted their attention.

"Passion fruit mojito, make it before I lose patience."

The older man squeaked in fear once I let go of his collar, hurrying to the kitchen while avoiding the chaos that the others were making; a small amount of satisfaction coursed through me when the realization came that he didn't try to keep me from drinking even though I was underaged. _'Damn, it feels good to have power.'_ A sudden scoff caught my attention and I raised an eyebrow questioningly toward the scarred man. He regarded me cooly as he swirled his tequila around before taking a sip of it. Though, sip may be too elegant of a word for Xanxus since he all but chugged the drink down.

"Passion fruit? You should go for harder alcohols."

"Well, excuse me, mister alcoholic, but we can't all stomach the shit that you put in yourself." I held out my hand and felt as a glass was slipped in between my fingers, no doubt by the waiter. "I wouldn't be surprised if you keeled over with cirrhosis right now. Besides, I actually like things that don't taste like I'm choking down flavored hand sanitizer."

"You have a weak palate, trash."

"Hardly."

The drink was raised to my lips as silence fell between us. We had nothing more to say to each other and I'd like to keep it that way; stockhome syndrome isn't something I'd like to get and keeping the chances of developing as low as I could seemed like a good idea. I nearly scoffed at the idea. Me? Becoming attached to these maniacs? I had a better chance of convincing Hibari to wear a dress.

I paused momentarily, eyebrow twitching as an image of Hibari in a frilly pink dress entered my mind. "Forget it. That would never happen." I hopped off the chair. "Nor should it ever."

"Ara~ What are you muttering about now, dear Nemesia?"

"Don't worry your neon colored head, Lussuria. Why don't you go hit on those waiters over there? I'm sure they'd give into anything you wanted if you threatened them."

"Ooh~ You have a good eye, dear." His tongue shot out and licked his lips, leaving me to feel like I needed a bath after witnessing such an act. "Maybe I'll go do that right now."

"Right... You do that..." His sequined bathing suit made me look away when it caught the sun, but I ignored that in favor for turning to Xanxus and holding out my hand.

"What?"

"I need your phone. If you're going to be keeping me here, then I'm going to have to check up on some business." My mind instantly reminded me that they could trace my calls, so I did the next best thing. "Actually, have Squalo give me his phone."

"Hmph..." Xanxus let out a grumble before downing the rest of his tequila and picking up another glass of alcohol, only eyeing this one before suddenly chucking it with pinpoint precision.

"VOOOIII! What was that for, damned boss?!"

"Shut up and give her your phone, trash." I watched passively as Squalo dodged Xanxus's bullet, bouncing my leg in impatience before I decided to interrupt their little lover's spat.

"Hey, give me your phone before I take it myself and shove it up your ass."

"What did you say?!"

The silver haired man was about to start yelling again, but another glass from Xanxus distracted while I pick pocketed his swim trunks for his cellphone. I stared blankly at the device I pulled out looking at the shark motif before blankly staring at Squalo as a sweat drop dripped down his face. I silently sighed before dialing in a number and pressing the call button, waiting for the international call to go through.

_'I'm not even going to question it.'_

_"Hello? What can I do for the famous Superbi Squalo?"_

"Think again, bastard." I casted a stern look at the sand under my feet before I moved to the water soaked sand. The burning heat was soon relieved by the water and lead to me sigh in satisfaction. "You didn't tell me that the target was connected to the Vongola."

_"Ah yes! Agnello was in an alliance with them, wasn't he?"_

I kept my face impassive, but my fingers gripped the phone even harder. A sudden cloud covered up the sun and suddenly the beach seemed colder despite the heat just a few seconds ago. My eyes scanned the beach when the thought of it being to quiet occurred to me, but that took a backseat to my conversation.

"What happened to not sending me into suicide missions? You didn't tell me anything about him and the fact that he's allied with my brother's family makes it worse."

_"I knew you weren't going to die, Na-chan. Why do you think the Varia came in and rescued you; I told them you were there and they did exactly what I thought they would do. You were never in any danger, well more danger than expected."_

"The deals off, Icarus. You're more trouble than you're worth."

_"Woooh~ But don't you want to get stronger, Na-chan?"_

"I can get stronger without you. Don't bother with trying to give me anymore missions, I'm terminating this testing trial."

_"Hmhm, as you wish."_

The phone hung up with a beep and I found myself gritting my teeth before chucking the phone into the sand. My bullet was sent through the device, but even the loud bang of my gun couldn't rid me of Icarus's laugh.

"He knew exactly what I'd do." My eyebrows knitted together before picking up the remnants of the shark themed phone and plopping it into Squalo's hand. "There you go."

"VOI! What did you do to my phone?! That was custom made, you damn brat!"

"Hmph, I did you more than one favor then. That phone was garish and tacky, you should be glad that I destroyed it."

_'Though, I still needed to use it. Maybe I should take anger management classes... yeah, fuck that.'_

"Shishishi, exhibitionist's right, shark commander. The prince has not seen an uglier phone; it can't even compare to the prince's!"

I held up my gun and turned to the blonde while I sent him a blank stare. "How 'bout I destroy that phone for you now. Knowing you, it would be an embarrassment to be around you when you bring it out in public. Ah, no knives, please."

"Kaching, maybe exhibitionist needs her tongue cut out. She talks too much."

"Ah, no fighting, darlings~ Family fighting is so not my style."

"Go for it, Bel! I'll have your back."

The blond paused once he heard Levi's statement. I watched in amusement as he put his knives away and turned away from the man. "Never mind. The Prince doesn't want help from someone like you."

"Why you!"

"Instead, how about the Prince skewer some eavesdroppers."

I sighed, cocking my gun as the illusion faded and everyone's Varia outfit was revealed.

_'They could have just told me this was a mission instead of taking my to the beach unaware.'_

"So, that's were you've been, Mammon. Lussuria told me that you stayed behind." I glanced at the floating baby before looking out from my cover and shooting at the man who appeared. A small frown plastered my lips when the wind blew my hair over my face, forcing me to push it aside seeing as this was not the time to tie it up.

"Muu, we needed the element of surprise, so we needed to pretend that we were unaware of their presence."

"Are these enemies of Vongola? I'm surprised you guys are still on good terms with the main branch considering all that has happened."

A sudden pit of fire opened up under a man and I watched as he burned to death, no doubt the results of Mammon's illusions.

"The Varia does whatever Xanxus tells us to do."

I grunted at the answer before ducking, rolling, and throwing sand into the eyes of a nearby man. He let out a screech before my gun was pressed to his stomach and discharged, leaving the man to bleed over the glistening sand. A shiver went down my spine that alerted me that an illusion was being used on me, but one look at Mammon told me it was his doing; it was a good thing too, because I was out in the open and would have been an open target.

"Don't expect me to owe you anything." I muttered to myself before getting back into battle. "Hey, do you want to stop 'accidentally' throwing your knives at me, Prince of Bastards!"

"Ushishi, I have no idea what you're talking about."

"How about-" _**Bang bang!**_ "-you drop the name before I 'accidentally' send one of my bullets through your head."

"You can try, peasant. You can try."

And then the knife in his hand was sent flying, landing precisely in the middle of a man's forehead. I let out a huff, knowing he took the last guy just to spite me.

"You really do know how to piss me off, you royal pain in the ass."

"Ushishi, the Prince still has a knife for you, exhibitionist."

"Right. Hm?" I bent down and picked at the man's body, moving the folds of his clothes aside so that I could grasp the metal that had peeked out of his shirt. "What the shit?"

Snapping the chain off the corpse's neck, I dangled the medallion in front of me as I observed the rather intricate design within a circle; a swirl curled in three directions from a center point and three triangles fit in between the spaces while a smaller set of swirls sat near the center like the stamens of a flower. There were spokes coming off of the inner circle, spreading outward towards the border of the larger circle, but stops right before it reaches it.

"Hey, Bel-Air **(AN: Ha, get it? Fresh Prince of Bel-Air!)**, what do you make of this?" I held up the golden trinket for the boy with the sheepdog haircut, he frowned briefly as he inspected it before his grin returned and he shrugged his shoulders.

"Looks familiar, but I can't remember."

I gave a huff at his un-helpfulness before spotting the same symbol on his collar, my hand instinctively reached for it in order to get a better look at the flesh colored insignia. The moment my fingers brushed it, a headache pounded briefly enough for me to reflexively shrink away from it. My eyebrows knitted together as my unoccupied hand rubbed my forehead, easing away the retreating pain.

_'Just what was that?'_

A sudden shadow eclipsed over me and the two of us glanced up to find the fishy commander standing over us. It looked like he was about to yell at us again until he saw the pendant in my hand and blanched slightly.

"Brat, let go of that right now!"

I blinked in surprise and let go of the medallion, instinctively knowing that there was a good reason for Squalo to be so uppity about touching some dead guy's jewelry. He sighed in frustration at the expression on my face before muttering that it was more trouble than it was worth.

"All right! We're done with the mission, so let's get moving!"

"Ushishishi, whatever you say." Belphegor folded his arms behind his head and proceeded to follow the silver haired man as he waved his sword arm around. Silently, I stood up, watching them blankly as the pounding of my head reminded me of where I was. My dark eyes were drawn back to the symbol the man adorned on both his collar and necklace; my fingers twitched and before I knew it, I had shoved the necklace into the pockets of my jean shorts. Knowing the Varia had called in a cleanup crew, I sent the body one last look before taking off.

_'I'm going to regret this decision later, aren't I?'_

The sunshine finally bled through the clouds and the heat came back to the beach while the wind harshly tugged on my hair. Absentmindedly, I brought the back of my hand to my cheek, feeling rather hazy from the heat before I sighed and got into the Varia limo.

_'I should take it easy on the alcohol. I don't have as much of a handle on it as I thought I did.'_

A sigh blew past my lips when the car pulled away from the bloody beach, the spinning in my head caused my stomach to turn nauseously while an ashen pallor painted my face.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?"

My eyebrow twitched at Squalo's voice. He's too damn loud!

"Nothing. I just don't feel very good."

I glanced at the passing scenery, but ended up taking my eyes away from it.

_'That was a mistake.'_

"Stop moving away from me like I'm a disease." Narrowing my eyes, I pinned the other occupants of the vehicle with a glare.

"Ushishishi, I'd rather not get peasant vomit all over me." Bel nudged me with his boot only for his leg to be pushed away rather violently.

"Fuck off. Egh..." I blanched at the migraine and hunched over so that my knees cradled my forehead. Once the threat of getting sick passed, I decided to speak. "Squalo, why did you not want me to touch that necklace back there? I didn't take you for the type to be stingy about looting bodies."

"Of course I'm not!" Again, he was yelling out his words, paying my suffering no heed as he continued on with a more serious tone. His eyebrows drew in even closer than before and there was a grimness to the tone that told me he was sincere. "But people with those symbols should be avoided as much as possible."

"Hm? Why's that? Are they a part of some mafia family?"

To my surprise, and displeasure, Levi was the one to relay the information to me. A certain smug look on his face, that occasionally turned to hope when a glanced at Xanxus, only made me want to reach for my gun and fill it full of holes; too bad that any movement made me want to throw up all those drinks I had before.

"That symbol you picked up earlier was the mark of 'The Knights of the Red Lily', a famiglia that has been around since the first generation of the Vongola famiglia. Not much is known about them, but it is known that most members don the symbol of The Knights. They hold no alliance and their leader is unknown, but they are left alone since famiglias do not want them on their bad side due to the fact that they seemed to know everything about everyone. In fact, they appear to resemble the Cervellos as they generally treat others without bias. Isn't that right, Xanxus-sama?"

"Hah~ That's some vague ass crap there; that basically told me nothing. They're some big, dangerous famiglia, but what isn't at this point? Hey, Mammon, do you know anything?"

"Muu, maybe I do. I could tell you for a price."

"No thanks." Mammon's exorbitant prices on information was rather notorious not just with the Varia, but outside the mansion walls as well. At all cost, I would like to avoid having to owe that greedy little baby anything that has a money symbol on it.

"Ushishishi, The Prince remembers now." A frown tugged at my lips as the blond's smile widened in front of me. "There was a rumor that touching anything that belonged to The Knights would curse you, that means the exhibitionist is cured! What bad luck!"

"Hmph, believing in curses are for idiots. Touching one little piece of jewelry hardly means that something bad will happen to me. We're in the mafia, you could say that anything bad that happens could be attributed to bad luck or a curse. It's dumb."

"Ohoho, make sure to bring some good luck charms with you, Nemesia."

I didn't even deem Lussuria an answer as the limo came to a stop and everyone piled out, leaving me to slide myself out of the seats and queasily stand on my own. I couldn't have been more thankful when Hamu produced a pill for me.

"Well, aren't I lucky to have a hamster like you." The animal pressed his head into my finger as I petted him, seemingly happy with the attention before I turned to enter the Varia's mansion.

"Hm, hey, Nemy dear. I have an idea." Lussuria soon stopped me once I got into the mansion. He put a finger to his lips in a thinking pose as he stared down at me through his glasses. My intuition told me that I wouldn't like what he was thinking, so I tried to casually step around him only for him to catch me by my collar. "I noticed how close you were to our little prince, so I wanted you to accompany him tomorrow."

"Agh, stop chocking me! I'm not going with him!" The fabric at my neck tightened just enough to make me feel the veins in my neck pulse, leaving me feeling like I was being constricted by a boa.

_'Huh, he's wearing a feather boa. I suppose that's funny...'_

Another tug reminded me of what he was doing and I finally conceded, choosing the ability to breathe over being with Belphegor.

"Perfect!" He clapped his hands. "I'll come wake you up at 7:00 to help you get ready, so get some shut eye or else you'll ruin your skin!"

I coughed into my fist while I glared at the man. "I _*cough*_ don't need _*cough*_ help dressing!"

"Aw, but there are no girls here to play dress up with. I want to make you super cute tomorrow, so cute that you'll make every boy and girl fall in love with you!"

And with that, he flounced away while muttering about my impending doom tomorrow, leaving me to stare after him in bewilderment in the hall. A heavy sigh escaped my lips before I hung my head in grudging defeat while I muttered to myself. "I'm only 13, you psychopath."

Figuring I wasn't going to win this fight, I headed towards the living room where I was greeted by the sight of Mammon counting his money and Bel trying to annoy said baby. I flopped onto the couch and watched their antics, deciding to stay quiet for now since I didn't want the blond's attention directed towards me.

"Bel, stop it!"

"Ushishi~ Is the baby getting annoyed? Maybe you should pay me if you want me to leave you alone."

"Never." He laughed at the immediate response. It seemed that Mammon really was quite the money hoarder, not even giving up a single cent to get a moment of peace. Sighing, I decided to take pity on the baby- who reminded me of Reborn in a way- and spoke up.

"Leave Mammon alone, Belphegor."

The duo turned to me, seemingly surprised by my intervention. It didn't take long for Bel's grin to come back, though.

"Oh, is the exhibitionist peasant having a change of heart? You're more kind than I thought."

"Oh joy, looks like my status has been upgraded." I blankly stared at the running television, not necessarily paying attention to what was playing on it. "And I wasn't being nice. You were just being annoying, so I did both of us a favor. Gah! Get off of me, fat ass!"

"Ushishi, the prince is not fat. I am made purely out of muscle. If you ask nicely, I might even let you touch them, though I'll have to cut your hand off afterwards."

"Not interested. Not get off of me!" Suddenly pushing against him, I tried to use all my strength in order to remove the boy, but to no avail. He snickered mockingly as he leaned back into me, further crushing me into the couch.

"Mph, Squalo, help me!"

"The fuck are you doing? Stop being dumbasses and go do something productive!"

"Ushishi, don't tell me what to do, Sharky Captain."

"Voi, don't throw your knives at me, Bel! You should be going to see if we have any assassination requests right now!"

"Hm? And why should I do it? The prince is quite comfy right now."

As if to emphasize his point, laced his hands together and placed them behind his head.

"Fuck you, Belphegor! Get off me before I shoot you!"

"Voi! You brat, the shitty boss said you needed to do it, so go do it!"

At the mentioning of Xanxus, Bel let out a reluctant laugh before climbing to his feet and giving my lungs a break from the torture of his weight. He skillfully dislodged his knives from the wall but stopped at the doorway instead of going out.

"Don't move from that couch, peasant. I needed a new cushion and you fit the role quite well. The prince would like to take a nap later."

"Hmph." I let out a snort as the blonde sauntered out; I flipped my middle finger at him in a futile attempt at getting back at the teen. "Screw that. Hmph, you really helped me out that time Squalo..."

I took a closer look at the silver haired strategist, something in my gut told me there was something off about it. Sitting back, I shot a look toward Mammon who had been counting his money this entire time.

"An illusion?"

"As you said. He was being annoying and I don't like being indebted to others. Consider the favor cleared."

"A-Ah..." I paused, unsure of what to say to the baby before I remembered what Kyoko had told me the day I left Namimori to go on this-not really a mission anymore- mission.

_"You should be nicer, Nakuka-chan. People like knowing that they're appreciated! So speak from the heart!"_

"Hmn..." I gritted my teeth, feeling a sense of nervousness fluttering in my stomach as I decided whether or not to say something. "Thank you... Mammon..."

My words petered off and left my words to fade away in an embarrassed whisper. It felt just a bit hotter in the room than it had been seconds prior and I felt even more embarrassed when I realized how worked up I was over a simple set of words.

_'This is what I get for trying to be heartfelt. I feel like an idiot.'_

"... You can show your thanks by giving me money."

"You're definitely not cute at all." The sigh was rather loud and I hoped he hadn't noticed how flustered I had gotten over this; I could only feel relief when I saw that he was too absorbed in organizing his money and balancing the Varia's accounts to notice my minor lapse in character. Feeling the need to redeem myself somewhat, even if it was just to myself, I heaved myself off of the couch fast enough to catch Hamu off guard and almost sent him flying off my shoulder.

"Well, I'm going to go to my room now. Have fun counting." And I strutted out of there with too much of a stride to be natural, but I guess it was subtle enough as Mammon didn't say anything.

Navigating through the halls, I could only curse myself for actually taking Kyoko's advice. Of course I'd be uncomfortable with doing that sort of thing, she's all about making every single person she meets happy.

"Last time I actually follow one of her advices. Hn..." My pace slowed down. "I wonder what she's doing right now..."

_'Maybe she's having cake again with that Haru girl, maybe even with Bianchi. Ah, mother is probably wondering why I haven't called home in a while. But maybe dad made something up since he is an extension of the Vongola famiglia. Then again, so is Reborn and Kosame as some sort of an alliance with them as well. Ah, I wonder if he's still waking Tsunayoshi up with those grenade traps of his...'_ Feeling uncomfortable once more, I clenched and unclenched my fists to help ease away the fluttering in my stomach. The same one that I felt when thanking Mammon._ 'Maybe I should give them a call...'_

"Gah!" A startled gasp left my mouth as I suddenly bumped into someone, my eyes instantly met the wine red haze of Xanxus's eyes; he had clearly had a couple shots of some type of alcohol as I could still smell it on his breath. I nodded my head slowly in greeting as I felt the need at least show some sign of respect. I guess in a way, we were like kindred spirits. "Xanxus."

"Hn."

_'Ah, he grunts kind of like Kyoya.'_ A brief frown tugged on my lips at the thought before it dispelled once I noticed that Xanxus was still staring down at me. I stared back, unsure of what he wanted until after about ten seconds, he bent down and picked something up off of the floor. The concentration on his face told me of that whatever he had in his hand was worth the attention and when my eyes caught the flash of gold in his hands, I instantly knew why. I didn't even bother to check my pocket for the medallion as I scanned the scarred man in front of me for any signs of movements, ready for any sudden movement but it never came as his eyes took on a more glassy appearance.

My intuition told me to stay silent and not bother the man as he relived some type of memory. His broad, callused hand strained slightly when his grip tightened, but it soon relaxed and his eyes became more alert. After what felt like hours, he met my eyes.

"I found that on one of the guys from the beach." I found myself explaining softly. "I just kind of felt the need to take it with me. Hopefully, that doesn't bother you..."

Xanxus stood there for a second, eyes becoming unfocused and refocusing once more before he shrugged. "I don't care what type of trash you pick up from other trash. It won't be my fault when you go insane."

Blinking in curiosity, I stared at him blankly as if to tell him that I had no idea what he was talking about. An irritated sigh left him before he turned the face of the medallion for me to look at.

"This symbol. My mother had one just like it on the back of her neck. She went insane and I never saw from her again."

"Ah..." My lips flattened out.

_'What do I say to something like that?'_

"People seem to be really afraid of this Red Knight group."

"I have no interest in people who sneak around."

"Right." I conceded, instantly knowing from the tone of his voice that the conversation was over. "Thanks anyway, Xanxus."

And without another word, he stalked off.

_'Probably to find more booze. Hm?'_ I blinked in surprise. _'I guess thanking people casually works for me. Sorry, Kyoko, but I'm not up for such an embarrassing thing quite yet.'_

"Ah, Xanxus, I forgot to ask something!"

"Don't yell, trash. I'm hungover."

"Sorry about that." I amended while looking down the barrel of his X-Gun. "I was wondering if I could use a phone, preferably one that isn't connected to a landline."

"You're wasting my time, trash. The shark will deliver one later."

Once more, he turned and walked away, but this time I didn't try to stop him. When I was sure he had left, I made my way to the spare bedroom that Lussuria had set up for me when I was well enough to get out of the medical bay and away from Alberta the demon nurse. Of course, Lussuria made sure it was completely "stylish" as he liked to call it, though I had to say massive amounts of pink frills and bows were not my thing. But I wasn't fussy enough to make them change my room- nor would I have pushed my luck at the time- so I stayed in the overly pink room, much to his delight.

The door shut behind me softly once I finally made it to my room. My fingers dug into the hem of shorts before I slid them off along with my shirt before I redressed myself in the blue lacy night gown that hung in my closet. When I was first given the outfit, I thought it would scratchy given the fabric it was made out of, but it was surprisingly soft and comfortable to wear.

Suddenly, a knock at the door alerted me to the person about to enter, causing me to hurry and try to pull the dress on.

"Hang on a second!"

"I came to deliver the shitty phone that the bastard boss made me deliver!"

"I was changing, you know? Stupid shark bastard." I scowled at the silver haired man while I took the hand held phone from his hand. A small twitch of his eye was followed by a rather loud "voi" which caused me to put my hand to my ears. This man a strong pair of lungs on him, judging by how many times he could yell without having to take a breath; in truth, he could probably make a very good screamo artist.

"Alright, alright, princess. Just stop yelling before I go deaf!"

"You little brat..."

Against better judgement, I ignored Squalo's growling and grabbed his wrist before leading him to my bed and pushing him so that he sat on the edge.

"Right, here, I'll make amends. How about I brush your hair?" I held up the hairbrush and some hair ties, but it didn't seem to placate him much as he tried to sit up again. "I'll be gentle, sharky; don't worry, I won't damage a single lock of hair."

His eyes narrowed at me, clearly trying to assess my intents before he gave in with a rather loud threat and turning so that I could sit behind him.

"Don't try anything funny, brat, or I'll cut you up."

"Hmph, you're starting to sound like Belphegor." Before he could let out a protest, my hands went to work to pull his silver locks back and out of his face. The silvery strands separated rather easily when I ran my fingers through it, glistening in my room's lighting while I began to run a brush through it.

It was rather peaceful, oddly enough considering who I was sitting with, but Squalo didn't seem to mind me touching his hair anymore and even began to look calm the longer I smoothed his hair out. To be honest, I would have figured he had fallen asleep if I had known for a fact that he wasn't; in truth, I felt rather relaxed as well.

_'Who would have thought that I would be brushing an assassin's hair. Not to mention an assassin who does not have much of a liking for my brother.'_

His hair soon found its way to being in a simply, loose braid but I unwound it when I found it wasn't much his style. An idea struck me which lead me to gather his hair up and slide the black hairband off of my wrist. Nodding in satisfaction, I scooted away from the older male which caused him to open his eyes at the movement. Sensing the unasked question, I spoke.

"Its gets kinda hot during the night, I figured that your long hair would make it difficult for you. Besides that, I think ponytails suit you."

"Tch, of course it does. Who do you take me for?"

I was about to question his rather humorous answer, but a knock at my door interrupted me .

"Nemy-dear, are you decent?"

"Come in, Lussuria."

"Oh my~" The man blinked at the both of us as he held his hand in front of his smile. "I didn't know you were into younger girls, Squa-chan~"

"Voi! Don't joke about that, scum! I wouldn't be attracted to someone like this brat!"

"Hmph, love you too, sharky." I leaned back while eyeing the man with a flat stare. "I was only fixing his hair, Lussuria. Nothing sketchy, or illegal, was going on."

"Hmm, how disappointing." Both of us ignored the clearly agitated swordsman as Lussuria continued on and held up a clothes hanger with opaque plastic covering what was underneath. "Here are your clothes for tomorrow, so be sure to get dressed in this. Ooh, you'll look mega cute! Now, you should go to sleep, dear; come now, Squa-chan! You can romance Nemy-chan some other time~"

"VOOIIII!"

Anticipating the yell, I held my hands to my ears and kept it there until they were long gone. An exasperated sigh left me before I tossed the outfit aside and turned off the lights.

"They're absolutely bat shit crazy, it's like I never left home."

~Transition_\\('-')/_Transition~

It was a rather peaceful morning the next day. I had woken up slowly and the sunshine wasn't shining in my eyes. To top it off, there were no aching muscles from the previous day nor did I wake up being too hot or cold. Too bad it was ruined the moment Lussuria barged in exclaiming nonsense enthusiastically.

"Up, Nemy, up, up , up, darling! You need to up and ready in twenty minutes!"

"Ngh..." A groan emitted from me as I dug my further into my pillow. I was not having any of his bullshit at the moment, so when he threw the covers off of me, it only made me more annoyed.

"Oh, don't give me that look. You need to go make yourself presentable on your first day! Now up out of that bed before I use my steel knee on you~"

"Fuck you..." I managed to groggily growl at him before he pushed me into the bathroom with the covered clothes. Once the door was shut behind me, I sighed and forced myself to take care of my personal hygiene immediately while resisting the urge to just stand there and ignore Lussuria's squawking about time. The plastic on the hanger was soon carelessly ripped off and abandoned on the floor; in my hands was a rather fancy school uniform with a white blazer and black skirt along with some thigh high socks.

_'Fuck, I'm going to school, aren't I? I can understand why Squalo is so agitated all the time...'_

"Well, no use in stalling anymore... Let's just get this over with."

"You look so cute!" Lussuria squealed the moment I stepped out of the bathroom, apparently overjoyed that the outfit fit as he crushed me with a deceivingly strong hug.

"Agh, that's... great!" I gasped out while my life was squeezed out of me. "Now when do we leave?"

He let go of me and wiggled around a bit. "Truth is, school started almost thirty minutes ago. Bel-chan just wakes up late or doesn't go at all, so I figured I should at least get one of you ready while I could."

A vein pulsed on my forehead in irritation, I got woken up for this?

"Then get that fucker up or I'll make sure he never will again."

He clapped his hands happily and I knew that he was in agreement with the idea, though it wasn't exactly what I thought it would be.

"Good idea, you should go wake up Bel-chan while I go make my special love-filled wake up breakfast!"

And before I knew it, Lussuria managed to drag me out of my room and in front of Belphegor's. The green haired man left while whistling happily, but I was far from feeling the same as I stood in front of the self proclaimed prince's room.

"Fucking shit, he better get ready soon or I can't be held responsible for what will happen to him."

Immediately, I swung the door open, not even bothering to deal with pleasantries as I barged in uninvited. The sight that greeted me was a room that you could easily get lost in for days at a time because of all the crap Belphegor had left around. Scowling, I picked up a discarded water bottle and chucked it at the sleeping blond, hoping it would hit him on the head. Disappointingly, I had to dodge the speared water bottle and watch as it stuck into the wall next to the doorway.

"Wake up, Belphegor. You need to get ready for school."

"Ushi~" A tired, irritated laugh escaped from the pile of blankets before it was silent again, making me approach the bed.

"Come on, Lussuria already forced me to get ready, so you need to also." I caught the knife wielding hand that swung at me, glaring at the boy as I pulled the cover off of him. "And stop trying to shank me with your shitty knives!"

"Kaching, let me sleep, perverted peasant."

"No. Get up or I'll make you."

"..."

"..."

The silence irritated me even more and just when I was about to throw open the shades to let in the sunlight, Bel's voice floated out of his extravagant covers.

"Then help the Prince get ready."

"Huh?" I glared at the boy as he started to sit up lethargically, but more awake nonetheless.

"The Prince shouldn't have to repeat himself. Help me get ready."

"No." I flatly denied his request.

"Then I'll go back to sleep."

"Why should I even help you? You can dress yourself perfectly fine."

"You brushed the noisy shark's hair."

"... I'll only brush your hair, that's it..."

"Ushishi~" He shifted his position to let me sit behind him and after digging through some of his trash, I found suitable comb and got to work. Being careful not to pull too harshly on any knots, I ran the plastic bristles through his golden hairs and found myself thinking that everyone in the Varia had nice hair.

_'Well, I suppose Levi and Mammon might be the exception, seeing as I've never seen Mammon's hair and I just don't like that stupid lightning guardian.'_

"Hey, Belphegor." I blinked when he leaned back against me and I was about to get annoyed again, but stopped when I saw that he had fallen asleep again. Frowning, but not feeling too bothered at the moment to wake him up, I continued to move the comb through his hair. His head bobbed a couple of times, but I didn't have much trouble with tidying up his locks. Though, as soon as I reached forward to comb his bangs back for convenience sake, his hand snapped upwards and caught my wrist.

"Ushi~ The Prince fell asleep." Belphegor let out a yawn and tiredly dropped his hand, thus loosening his grip on mine. His hand rose once again and smoothed his bangs over his eyes once more before he sleepily tumbled out of bed. I watched him silently as he continued on with his routine, pulling out a shirt and carelessly tossing his pajama shirt onto a pile of miscellaneous items on the floor and then moving on to find some clean pants.

"Hey, why do you always keep your eyes covered?"

He head cocked to the side, acknowledging my question as he rummaged through another pile of clothes and tossed its contents around. When he decided that he wouldn't find anything in it, he moved onto another one.

"Well, the prince _is_ a prince. If anybody saw my eyes, then they will know my nationality and the other nations will have a fit over it."

"Your status or your eyes?"

He let out a laugh, clearly amused by something that I wasn't sure on before he pulled out a pair of pants. "Both. I will have to charge you if you keep watching the prince change. It's quite a rare privilege, you know."

"Hmph. You're spending too much time with Mammon." I muttered to myself before raising my voice for him to hear. "I already know what the male anatomy looks like, Belphegor. I'm sure there is nothing different under there, unless you have something you need to tell me." I raised my eyebrow at him and when I didn't get a response, I got up to leave. "I'll be downstairs, so come down when you're done. And you better be done soon or else I'll bend every single one of your stupid knives."

"Not before I destroy your guns."

I let out another scoff and silently left him to change in peace. Once the door was closed, I couldn't help mutter to myself as I made my way to the dining room.

"Stupid pampered prince and his stupid sadistic face."

~Transition_\\('-')/_Transition~

Thankfully, it didn't take Belphegor much longer to get ready which delighted Lussuria since Bel wasn't known as an early riser, much like a certain angry individual with strange eyebrows.

"Does Xanxus have another hangover?"

"He does indeed, Nemesia. In fact, Levi is standing outside his door right now to make sure that everything is quiet. He gets quite cranky when there are loud noises after he's been drinking a lot."

"He always drinks a lot." Lussuria didn't acknowledge my valid point, but I guess that reinforced Xanxus's character in my mind.

"Hey, why isn't Belphegor in a uniform?" I sent the blonde an accusing glare, though it didn't effect him by any means.

"Because I am a prince."

"What Bel-chan means to say is that there is a uniform, but most times mafia children tend to wear what they want. It's quite hard to reinforce rules on kids who know how to use weapons, you know? The outfit you're wearing right now isn't even a uniform for the academy."

"Then why am I wearing it?"

"Because I thought it was just darling and I wanted to dress you up!"

"Right... I should have guessed." I fell silent as the expensive black we were in took a turn into a gated building. Some kids ranging from elementary schoolers to high school students roamed around and some even paused to watch our car go by, seemingly understanding who was inside since many went back to what they were doing.

"Oh! Looks like we're here. Make sure to stick together and have a nice day, Bel-chan, Nemy-chan!"

Neither of us answered as the chauffeur shut the door behind us, leaving us to stand on the cobblestone. My eyes quickly scanned the surroundings, my senses telling me that we were being observed despite the lack people staring directly at us. At some point, I even saw a student trying to get a glimpse of us through a handheld mirror, but it wasn't as stealthy as they thought it was since it caught the sunlight and nearly blinded me.

"So, what now?"

"I suppose we should go to class or else the scary boss will be angry at me again if the perverted peacock complains to him again."

_'They seemed to really respect and fear Xanxus.'_ I nodded in approval, seeing anybody who can these idiots fear them as a respect-worthy person in my books.

"Alright, lead the way then. Mafia school classes can't be that bad."

~Transition_\\('-')/_Transition~

_'Oh, how I love being wrong.'_

"You know, I don't do this to everybody, right? You're lucky that I'm giving you this chance." My nose scrunched up in disgust as I watched a red headed girl drape herself over the shoulder of another male student, trying to mafia charm and clearly failing at it. She flipped her hair over her shoulder while sending a wink to the pitiable male in the chair.

"A-Ah... That's enough, Angelitta. You've shown me plenty of what you could do." The strained smile on the teacher's lips told me that he thought it was just as bad as I thought it was, but he didn't seemed bothered enough to actually tell the girl. It did amuse me a bit when she blew him an air kiss and he cringed in the slightest.

"Right. Next person, then..."

I frowned, sinking into my chair in disinterest while I snuck Bel a glance. He didn't seemed too interested in the lesson either as he was tossing his knives in his hand and occasionally flicking them into the ceiling. I guess that was normal behavior since no one tried to stop him, but I guess sitting next to one of the Varia's officers tended to gain some sort of attention as the teacher's eyes landed on me.

"Nemesia, why don't you give it a try? Don't worry, I don't expect you to get it 100% seeing as this is your first time attending class, so give it your best shot."

"Shot, huh?"

"And please don't use any guns or harm any students."

"Well, who would have known we had a mind reader amid us." I sent a sly glance to the instructor before stepping in front of the boy who had just taken the place of the other in the chair. He seemed to be a bit older than Bel and he was clearly uninterested in me as I had seen his lilac eyes scan me before looking away in disinterest. Frankly, I should have been offended, but I could give two shits about the opinion of some asshat in a chair.

I stood their silently as I assessed the situation before sighing and putting my hands on my hips while leaning forward just a bit.

"Hey, you could at least act like you're interested at least a little bit."

He didn't move, but he did glance back me before scoffing. "I'm not interested in a kid like you."

"Maybe not, but you clearly underestimate me." I spoke lowly and slowly made my way around him, letting my hand graze his shoulder as lightly as I could before stopping on his other side. I leaned forward while letting my hair dance over his shoulders and bringing my lips closer to his ear.

"And I'm quite good at getting what I want." A smirk silently crept onto my lips when I saw that my whispers had gotten a reaction out of him. Briefly, a small shiver shook his shoulders, but I knew that I must have gotten something out of him. A second passed and I suddenly understood what I needed to do and so I tipped his chair back, holding onto the corner of it as he briefly panicked at the sudden orientation. Alarm flashed in his eyes before it latched onto mine, this time I let him see the smirk on my face.

"This is what you wanted, isn't it? You dream of something like this. You want someone mysterious, in control; you _want_ to be dominated." A low, amused laugh left my lips while his eyes briefly flickered to them. "And now I can drop you and be done with it, or I could keep toying with you." I let his chair jerk upright, shocking the teen out of his stupor as I walked walked past him but stopping just long enough to address him. "But I'm sure you know which one is more fun."

My gaze travelled to the teacher and I silently asked if I could sit down, his surprise quickly faded as he nodded in response and let me rejoin Bel. I caught one of his knives, getting annoyed with the constant thud that it had been making this entire time, before spotting one of the female students staring at me. I shot her a dark smile and she looked away quickly, a bit of red dusting her cheeks as the teacher called the class to attention.

_'And back to being bored...'_

~Transition_\\('-')/_Transition~

"So, how was school today? Did you enjoy it?"

The car door shut behind me and once again, we were greeted with the sight of Lussuria picking us up from school. It felt disturbing like a parent picking up their children in school, but I quickly discarded the thought at the thought of Lussuria being my dad. I'll take that nonsensical liar of a father over this perverted one.

"Boring. The peasants can barely keep the prince entertained."

"It was annoying. They kept avoiding me and staring at me when they thought I wasn't looking."

"Oh! Maybe you were a hit with them and they're too shy to approach you!" Lussuria grinned happily at the thought, seemingly forgetting just what kind of school we were attending at the moment. I sighed and prepared to mercilessly burst his bubble, but it seemed Belphegor wanted to be that fucker that destroyed the other man's fantasies.

"Ushishi~ I think it's because she scared them off with her bad attempt at seducing."

"Tch... It couldn't have been that bad if the guy got a stiffie from it."

"You seduced someone?" He paused for a moment before his energy rebounded. "My, how exciting! My little girl is growing up so fast!"

"Please don't call me that..." I sighed when I noticed that he was no longer paying attention to me. He briefly muttered under his breath that it must have been the uniform, but I quickly tuned him out as he could get fairly disturbing when he gets this deep into his thoughts.

"I can't wait to exploit them now." Belphegor laughed amusedly, bringing me out of my thoughts and making me wary as his plans always involved making someone miserable... or dead... Those mafia kids are going to have one hell of a party when Belphegor finally decides to stop being lazy for once.

"Whatever it is, don't bring me into it." And so I popped in my earbuds, adamant on ignoring the two males until I got back to the mansion and had saner people to talk to.

_'Ah, but I guess I must not be as sane as I thought if I thought they were any more sound of mind than these idiots...'_

* * *

**Omake: Opposites, yet the same**

It hadn't taken long for something to go wrong in the Sawada household. After all, when you gather some of the strangest characters and throw them into a single household while being connected to the mafia, you'll only get chaos.

So when Lambo started having a fit over having orange juice spilled on him - which was completely his fault, by the way- and pulled out his ten year bazooka, Tsuna could only blanche as the device sparked like a live wire.

"Lambo wait! That's dangerous"

"I'll get him, Jyuudaime!" Gokudera quickly approached the crying child and tackled him with unnecessary force while causing the bazooka to go flying.

"Tsuna-kun, are you ready for school?"

"Hurry it up, Tsunayoshi. You're going to make us late."

Said boy watched with wide eyes, tracing the bazooka's arcing path as it headed straight towards his sister and their school's idol. Instantly, pink smoke filled the kitchen's air and choked the occupants.

"Kyoko-chan! _*cough* _Nakuka! Are you okay?" He rushed forward in concern once the smoke cleared and watched as the two girls sat up in a daze.

"Huh, what happened?" Nakuka looked around with wide eyes, blinking in surprise before they landed on Tsuna. She smiled pleasantly which caused the boy to pause in shocked confusion. "Oh, hello, Tsuna-kun!"

"Agh, what the fuck was that?" Kyoko rubbed her head. She pushed herself up while roughly dusting her skirt off; once she noticed the strange looks she got from Tsuna, she glared at him. "What are you looking at?"

"K-Kyoko-chan? Are you all right?" He was dumbfounded. In all his years of being in school with Kyoko, never once did she curse or even adopt a negative expression. The spectacle in front of him weirded him out even more when Nakuka answered instead of the caramel haired girl.

"I'm fine, Tsuna-kun. Why do you ask?"

"Haha, looks like they're acting like each other. How fun!" Yamamoto slung an arm around the shorter boy's shoulder while he eyed the girls. He seemed genuinely amused by the situation even as Reborn hopped onto his shoulder and confirmed his thoughts.

"It's as Yamamoto says. It seems the ten year bazooka malfunctioned and caused them to switch bodies."

"Hiiiee~" Tsuna let out a soft cry of distress. He felt he had the right to be distressed seeing as his crush and sister have switched bodies. In all sense of the situation, it felt extremely wrong. "Kyoko-chan and Nakuka switched bodies?! How do we get them back into their own bodies?"

"A Vongola technician can fix the ten year bazooka and reverse its effects, but it's going to take the entire day."

"T-The entire day? But we have to go to school!"

"Don't worry, Tsuna! Maybe no one will notice the difference!" Yamamoto grinned, but Tsuna could tell that he was holding back a laugh. It made him even more exasperated with the situation when Gokudera nodded confidently, his bombs already nestled between his fingers for future use.

"That's right, Jyuudaime! And if they do, then I'll make sure they won't."

The brown haired boy grimaced at the implications while he pushed the bombs away from his friend, silently telling him to put it away before his mother came. He would say that he was fairly used to the weird situations that surrounded him and his friends, but he just couldn't deal with the body switching. His poor teenage heart could barely handle being the next Vongola boss, adding this on top of it could only make him think that he would die at a young age from a stress induced heart attack.

"R-right... Let's... Let's just get this over with then."

"Good choice, Tsuna. Looks like your boss instincts are taking over and you're dealing with the problem."

_'It's more like I can't avoid dealing with it.'_

Tsuna didn't even bother to spare the baby a glance as he slumped over with a sigh, downing his orange juice in one go before turning to leave the house. His intuition told him that his friends would follow, but he could hardly care at the moment as he dreaded the school day ahead of him.

~Transition_\\('-')/_Transition~

"Sakimi Tsukuyo."

"Here."

"Sanada Akihiko."

"Present."

"Sasagawa Kyoko."

The teacher's pen fell slightly as he waited for the girl's cheerful response, only glancing up when the silence continued and was greeted with the sight of the honey haired female gazing blankly at a spot on the wall. Students twisted around in their seats when they saw their teacher's hesitation; Kyoko's eyes were half lidded in a stony expression and a small frown tugged on her lips, surprising everyone at their idol's strange behavior.

"Sasagawa-san?"

"Huh?" Tsuna watched as Kyoko's body jerked up in surprise when Hana discreetly nudged the girl with her shoe, but she soon sank down in her chair once more as soon as she noticed where she was. "Oh... yeah, I'm here."

A moment of silence passed before the students started to mutter amongst each other, causing Tsuna distress as he knew that Nakuka did not care about trying to act like the flowery idol of Namimori. In fact, she was currently slouched in her chair, the same slouch that she seemed to have developed out of nowhere all those years ago.

_'Ah, she's ruining Kyoko's reputation!'_

His stress increased tenfold when Gokudera seemed to notice and had pulled out his dynamite, thankfully the teacher wasn't looking, with a wink. As a last resort, Tsuna shot a pleading look towards the tall baseball player of their group, but he received no aid as Yamomoto merely grinned and waved back cheerfully.

"Are you alright, Sasagawa-san? Do you need to go to the nurse?"

"Tch. I'm fine." _Don't bother me anymore_. Tsuna could practically hear the other half of her statement in the tone of her voice and apparently so did the teacher as he nervously pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose.

"R-Right. Well, don't hesitate to leave in the middle of a lecture if you are feeling unwell."

Kyoko's honey colored eyes became disturbingly dark, making clear that Nakuka hated having her statement of her own wellbeing ignored. Tsuna could only hope that she didn't try to do anything that would hurt how people viewed Kyoko.

"Sawada Tsunayoshi, please don't pull your hair out. You're going to hurt yourself."

"Yes, teacher..."

Somewhere, somehow, Tsuna felt that Reborn was enjoying the show way more than he should.

~Transition_\\('-')/_Transition~

"Hey, what's wrong with you, Kyoko? Do you have a cold?" Hana openly confronted her best friend, clearly not caring at the moment if she was being less than tactful. Kyoko raised an eyebrow before stabbing a straw through her juice box and drinking the beverage.

"Huh, I thought you didn't like banana milk?"

"Ah, I guess you could say that I just felt like having it right now."

Hana shook her head at her friend. She felt like Kyoko had always held something back from her and while it felt like she was developing more secrets by the day, she hoped that her friend would finally confide and be completely honest with her. She felt slightly jealous when she had figured that Kyoko must have divulged one of her secrets to Tsunayoshi's younger sister since she seemed especially excited whenever the younger Sawada came around.

"If you say so, Kyoko. Just tell me if you need anything."

Despite the raised eyebrow she received from the girl, she had a feeling that she didn't get her strongly hinted intentions.

"Hana-chan, Na-chan!" Both girls blinked, Hana in surprise while Nakuka's was more of a grimace, as they saw Nakuka's body jog towards them. A sparkly aura scarily hung around her while a blinding smile illuminated the normally cold girl's face. They weren't the only ones dumbfounded by the sight since many of the other students, even some teachers, had stopped at the scene.

"Nakuka?" Hana stared incredulously at her. Since when has she ever acted like this? It was like Kyoko and Nakuka had switched personalities for the day; in fact, she raised that thought to the two of them, but was answered by a rather nervous Tsunayoshi as he tackled her to the ground.

"Hey! What's the big idea?!" The dark haired girl instantly barked at the boy as he scrambled to climb off of her. Tsuna didn't pay her much mind as he nervously hid the extinguished dynamite behind his back; he'd have to talk to Gokudera about being so trigger happy.

"Sorry, Hana, Tsuna just saw a mosquito come near you and got rid of it."

_'Y-Yamamoto!'_ Tsuna's eyes sparkled in relief as the tall boy came to save him from an excuse. _'You're a life saver, even if that was a lam excuse!'_ A shining light seemed to appear behind the baseball player while the silver haired bomber scowled at the sight. He clenched his hand into a fist before swearing to himself.

"I'll get you next time, baseball idiot. I won't give you the right hand position!"

"Anyway, let's go have fun somewhere else. Right, Gokudera?" Despite the urge to scowl deeper, Gokudera forced on an unnatural.

"T-That's right. I'll lead the way, Jyuudaime!"

Once more, the group was swept up in their odd antics, but Tsuna didn't care as long as the situation didn't get too out of hand.

~Transition_\\('-')/_Transition~

Never in his life had Tsuna been so happy to see an infant. True to Reborn's word, he had a Vongola technician fix the bazooka and seemed to take pity on him as well since he came with the purple weapon rather fast. Honestly, they had some close calls with Hana as they tried to be discreet about the whole mafia thing. In the end, she conveniently had to go shopping for groceries as requested by her mother and had to leave the group soon after school.

Before they left, though, rumors seemed to have spread about the two girls and now everyone beliefs that they were pretending to act like each other. Honestly, it scared Tsuna how quickly the students came to adore their school idol when she "acted cool." He could only think about how many more people were falling deeper for Kyoko before he caught wind that there were even some students in Nakuka's grade that had taken quite a liking to his younger sister.

Overall, Tsuna couldn't even muster the energy to react when Reborn pulled up the school's webpage and showing him all the pictures that were secretly taken of the girls that day.

"While this is great and all, let's get this show on the road. I want to have my own body back now." Kyoko's body spoke and moved away from the screen while she steered her original body to stand next to her. The real Kyoko was obviously confused about the situation, but she didn't voice her thoughts as the room suddenly filled with pink smoke.

"Ah, looks like it worked." Nakuka nodded approvingly while she tested her limbs out. "You okay, Kyoko?"

"Hm? Yes, I'm alright, though I'm not too sure what happened."

"Don't worry about it."

"Get out of here, annoying woman! Snotty cow!" Suddenly, Gokudera's shouting distracted everyone in the room. Their eyes instantly spotted the bomber and the cow print child as they played tug-a-war with the ten year bazooka.

"You let go, Stupidera! This is mine, so let go!"

"Hahi, stop bullying Lambo-chan!"

"Stay out of it!" He snapped before directing his attention to Lambo once more. "Do you know how much trouble you cause Jyuudaime by breaking this all the time? Just leave it to more responsible people!"

Suddenly, Lambo let go of the weapon, causing Gokudera to fly back into Haru while the bazooka went flying. Everyone watched as the weapon arced in the air, seemingly in slow motion before it landed on the two people whom were sprawled on the ground.

"Ugh, what happened? Gah! Why do I sound like that annoying woman?!"

Gokudera's body sat up in alarm while Tsuna slapped a hand to his face, unable to believe his luck as he quickly figured out what had happened to the two.

"Hahi! Why does Haru sound like a man?!"

Tsuna's shoulder sagged while Nakuka watched on in amusement, happy that it wasn't her this time. She didn't seem to bothered at her brother's exasperated expression; she simply smiled in amusement as his face dead panned and he spoke to Reborn without moving a muscle.

"Let me guess, it'll be another day before the bazooka is fixed?"

"Maybe more if the shock of being hit against the floor had damaged it."

"Great... Just great..."

* * *

_**Okay, so I didn't get around to making this a more plot-y chapter like I wanted it to be, but I can promise that bigs things will happen next chapter! I'll try to get it out soon, so anticipate some plot relevant reveals and such!**_

**IsraAl'Attia-Theron: I'm glad that she's funny to you. It just seems that she can't escape these situations, huh? And nope, he probably just thought it was another athletic competition *sigh*. And thanks, I'll try to update more since it's summer now!**

**ddmahan922: Some things will be revealed soon, but not all of them at the same time. Can I get that cake in advance? *bats Haru and Kyoko away. Back beasts, back!***

**Viviene001: Totes ma goats, gurl! I love his character, though I do recognize that he's pretty much bat shit crazy. It's just really interesting to me. ;)**

**reaper-senpai: I'll try to put more in if I can. I frankly enjoy them too, but I'm just not that creative so I don't know what else they could have a misunderstanding over. T_T**

**Guest: I'm glad you found that funny. I was just going to make a different name for it, but I figured 'why not?'.**

**Starlover18: Not at all. In fact, it seems like most people ship Nakuka with the more bloodthirsty/crazy characters. It's actually quite funny from my perspective. XD**

**Winter's Folly: Yup, Hamu is pretty much Leon's offspring just like Enzo. Though, I just had the thought that Enzo is a reptile and so is Leon, so maybe Hamu should have been a reptile? Eh, whatevs, Hamu's a hamster and that's that.**

**Question: I didn't ask last time, but what do you guys think about the new cover art? I used a KHR base for this one, so hopefully you guys like how Nakuka turned out. Also, that symbol is the one that appears in this story (I'm actually quite proud of it).**


	18. Hooded Freaks and Faces Full of Dirt

**Followers: katyha, Shiko-Rae, Echizen Dyoma, KnightAngelSupreme, angelacorrus, OhWonder, Daikuro, Gummi Penguin, MoonShadow396, Drahker, XstigmaX, SketchyTiger99, DzuDzu, PandoraxDestiny, chibichibi98, xXRasen-ChidoriXx, Eien no yoru, SuJufan, Blake93, Hikari-Urufu-no-Yami, Lynn D. Mariza, AsphaltFalls, searska1, Sakura-hime99, Alexandra Alcatraz Morgan, Rieyama Yuuko, Lucaila**

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**Updated 11 July 2014**

* * *

"Knock it off, Belphegor. You're going to get ice cream on me." I sighed as I slung my book bag over my shoulder and adjusted the napkin around the ice cream cone so that its contents wouldn't drip on the blond. He'd have a hissy fit if he got his outfit soiled, so might as well try to avoid that headache.

"Ushishi~ You should be grateful that a prince such as I would let his ice cream drip on such a peasant."

"I feel honored, but don't you dare get any on me or else I'll tell Lussuria that you forced me to skip school with you."

He scoffed into his cold treat before shifting to look over the guard railing and letting out a grin. I heard a loud shriek as Bel laughed, ducking back to his spot next to me before his unfortunate victim could spot who had left their treat on their head. Blandly, I glanced at his empty hand before dodging the sticky hand that he tried to wipe on my blazer.

"What a waste." I dug into my bag and handed him a wet wipe, frowning when he purposely let his sticky fingers touch mine. Not bothering to get another wipe out, I sucked my fingers to get rid of the stickiness, grimacing when the sweetness of the vanilla ice cream mixed with the chemicals of the wipe. Soon enough, a used wet wipe was thrown in my face.

"Could you not, you're being a pain in the ass." The rag was returned to the blond in a less than polite way. "What are you, the Prince of dumbassery?"

"Would you like there to be one less shorty in the world?"

A knife was waved in front of my face, but I chose to ignore it as I scowled.

"I'm not that short. You're like three years older than me, of course you'll be taller."

_'At least he's not calling me an exhibitionist anymore.'_ I glanced at the boy just as he threw a knife and ended up hitting a bird out of mid-flight. Shaking my head at his sadistic nature, I handed him some milk candies, hoping that it would tie over his boredom and keep him from murdering other creatures.

"How long do you think Lussuria will keep trying to make us go to school? It's been like two weeks, can't he already accept that we don't really need it."

"Are you getting bored of the Prince?" He let out a satisfied laugh when he saw my frown. "The pervert will keep trying to force us to school so that we'll bond with the other kids and create more alliances. So, the answer is that he won't stop."

"How are you so certain?"

"Because I am a Prince."

"Ahhah~ I shouldn't have asked."

We walked in relatively peaceful silence, discounting the sound of Bel's obnoxious chewing, as we made our way throughout the town. My eyes slid closed briefly before I stopped next to the entrance of the park.

_'Something is wrong. Something feels wrong.'_ I couldn't ignore the feeling my intuition was giving me, as if someone important was about to appear.

"Hey, Belphegor." He glanced at me lazily, or at least I assumed so since his hair blocked his eyes, and let the candy wrapper fall to the ground. "Did you manage to clean off that bird's blood? It'll stain if you don't take care of it."

"Ushi~ Are you worried about me? It seems like you're falling for the Prince more and more each day."

_"I know."_

I scoffed as I got the meaning behind his words. "As if I'd fall for a psychopath like you, I'd sooner fall in love with Xanxus or the stupid shark."

"Tough love, maybe I'll have to convince you later."

"I'd rather you not." We both jumped back at the voice; Bel sent one of his knives towards the person as my guns became loaded for further use. I watched in surprise when the knife limply fell to the ground, the tip of it was bent and made me briefly note that it would no longer be of further use.

"Tanpopo? What are you doing here?"

The blonde girl's serious expression slipped for a second, replaced by a seemingly happy one before another voice spoke out and returned her previous expression.

"Don't get distracted." The Varia storm guardian and I jumped away from the bench as another figure appeared out of nowhere and destroyed it with a single hit. His black hair waved gently in the wind before he straightened himself up again, the tonfa in his hands gleaming in the sun.

"Kyoya, you're here too?"

"Kaching, the Vongola Cloud guardian is here? Boss won't be happy about this."

"You, we're going back to Namimori." I blinked at the command before I raised an eyebrow toward the boy and then to the blonde girl who had accompanied him.

"I don't really understand what's going on, but I suppose my problem of getting back home is solved now." I pocketed my guns, convinced that no bodily harm was going to come. When I turned around to address Belphegor, I noticed him cautiously watched us. "Sorry, but I gotta go home now. Tell Xanxus not die from over drinking...or from high blood pressure, Squalo to take care of his hair, and Lussuria to... to keep being Lussuria."

"Boss is not going to happy with this."

"He's a big boy, he can take care of it himself. Besides that, he probably wouldn't like knowing that his rival's sister was staying with him this whole time."

Belphegor clicked his tongue and caught me off guard when he spoke once more. "We already knew your name wasn't Nemesia. We just didn't bother doing anything about it. We are top assassins after all; it would be suicide of us to take in an unknown person."

"Hm," I mused to myself. "Maybe you are as smart as they say you are, Belphegor."

"Kaching. What is _that_ suppose to mean? Do you want to fight me?"

"Herbivore, you're taking too long."

Honestly, I was surprised that Kyoya lasted so long in listening to us banter with each other. Knowing his past record, he would have slammed a tonfa into my gut to get me going.

"All right, all right. See ya 'round, Belphegor. Don't die a too hideously bloody death."

Without giving Belphegor any time to retort, Tanpopo grabbed my arm and started to drag me along until I was able to get my bearing. We weaved through quite a few streets and shoppers until we came upon a seemingly misplaced airport. Kyoya didn't bother to slow down or show the guards any identification, instead throwing a glare at the unnerved fellows until the gates were opened. Deeming that there was enough distance from the security guards, I chose to speak up.

"So, what are you two doing here? Specifically, together?"

Kyoya didn't seem to think my question was important enough to require his attention, instead he boarded the private plan a man in a suit escorted us to. Tanpopo sent the boy a weary look before she settled in her seat and turned to me. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Kyoya sitting himself across the aisle from us; it was surprising considering how much he liked his personal space. One glance at the blonde girl in front of me made me understand, though. He didn't trust her.

"One of Vongola's higher ups told us that someone matching your description was seen being taken by the Varia, so we naturally came to get you."

"How would you have gotten the information, though? It's not like Icarus is in good graces with the Vongola. Last I heard, he's on their kill list."

"Yeah..." She nervously fiddled with the seat's armrest.

"Tanpopo."

Her gaze caught onto mine as surprise flitted through her orbs. "You called me by that name again."

"Is that a problem?"

"No! No... It's just..." She took a deep breath. "It's just that I thought you would still be mad at me..."

I raised an eyebrow at her, not that she could see it since her head was turned, but I gave her one nonetheless. Silence enveloped us and it stayed like that until the plan finally took off and became leveled in the sky.

"Well, your real name is Dolce, isn't it? I was just angry at Icarus." A frown pushed onto my lips, I casted a glance toward the girl and then towards Kyoya before I made up my mind. "I guess my anger was misplaced. I shouldn't have said all those things to you... sorry."

"You don't have to apologize. I couldn't do much to protect you from Icarus." She let out a little sigh, causing me to look at her. "To tell you the truth, Dolce isn't my original name either. It was given to me by Icarus when he found me."

"Then what is it?"

"I don't know. I've long forgotten after all this time."

Sensing that she was reluctant to tell me more, I decided to take pity on her and stayed quiet. Instead, I heaved myself out of my chair and into the spacious aisle, only stopping at the sound of Tanpopo's voice.

"Where are you going?"

"Where do you think? I'm in an airplane with a limited amount of space I could roam. Hmph, I'm going to the bathroom." The blonde's face lit up in embarrassment before she quickly seated herself again, strategically choosing a seat that made her back face me. A small grumble came from her direction, but I paid no mind to it and continued on to my destination. Once inside the bathroom, I locked the door behind me and positioned myself in front of the mirror. Of course, the private jet's bathroom was a lot more fancier than a commercial plane- and I mean a lot more, there were solid oak furnishings and a shower in the corner- but it still didn't make me feel any better about what I'd have to deal with once I got home.

"Aw man, Kosame is going to be really upset with me. And what am I going to tell Kyoko? She already knows that something is up and I'd rather not lie about the situation."

Pausing in my contemplation, I leaned forward and pressed my palms into the marble of the sink's counter. I took a good look a my face, noting how I nothing had really changed about my appearance other than the given older appearance that accompanied growing up. The glimmer of a silver chain caught in the lighting immediately reminded me just what was hanging from my neck. Soon enough, the silver ring that Icarus gave me sat on my open palm and gleamed up at me rather innocently.

"I know there must be something about you that Icarus is not telling me about." Silently, I undid the chain and slipped it into my pocket before I slid the ring onto my right hand. "Odd, I wouldn't think that it would fit me."

My hand shifted as I admired the red stone that sat in the middle. Taking in a deep breath, I pushed myself away from the counter and nodded to my reflection.

"All right, I should head back before they think that I have the bowel movements of an eighty year old woman on a cheese based diet."

* * *

"Sir, would you like an escort?"

"No. I'll be fine. You men wait here until I come back or signal for assistance, but hopefully it won't come to that." The suited man nodded and saluted Iemitsu dutifully. The blond man nodded back before straightening his posture and making sure all his weapons were in order. The Varia seemed to have calmed down since their treason against Nono, but he had to be prepared for all situations. He was there for a specific reason as well and he wouldn't be leaving without accomplishing it.

"Oya~ It looks like the CEDEF boss is here to visit. We haven't done anything wrong, so can I assume that you're here for our dear boss?"

"If you would please." Iemitsu nodded politely to the colorful man, accepting his silent offer to take him to Xanxus. Happily- too happy in his opinion- Lussuria lead him to the dining room and opened the doors to see a rather chaotic scene.

_'Ah, it's like when Tsuna and his guardians get together.'_

He shook the thought from his head as Lussuria cleared his throat and clapped his hands, gaining the guardians' attention right as a pie was thrown into Levi's face.

"Boss~ CEDEF boss is here to speak with you."

One of Xanxus's eyes opened lazily, revealing the wine red- an ironically apt color for such a sot- of his irises. The slight grunt that escaped him signaled to Iemitsu that Xanxus wanted whatever it is he had to say to be said so that the ill tempered man could get back to his alcohol. So, he coughed meaningfully before confidently looking straight into the Varia boss's eyes.

"I would like you to return my daughter to me."

"Daughter?" Lussuria tilted his head in confusion before making a noise that said he remembered. "Oh, you mean that little cutie who went by the Nemesia while she was here!"

"Ushishi~ You're too late. She left with the cloud guardian earlier today."

"That's right, and you two were suppose to be in school when that happened! Based on how well she did in mafia seduction, she would have been a shoe in for the covert affairs lesson today!"

"M-Mafia seduction?" Iemitsu didn't want to hear that his sweet little girl would take so naturally to such a field. He mind reminded him of when Oregano had bursted into his office, claiming that Agnello was dead and that the killer was his daughter; he felt slightly regretful for pushing her threat to the side, thinking that she wouldn't really carry out her promise. Though, there wasn't much he could do other than contact Pace and have him cover up who it was and to contact Kosame since he knew that she was training Nakuka.

"That's right! She was a natural! Bel even said that the volunteer became aroused with just the touch of his shoulder!"

"S-She's good at seduction?" Iemitsu blanched at the thought, which was noticeable enough seeing as Belphegor started to laugh while Xanxus had opened his eyes fully in amusement.

"Voi! Didn't you hear the first time?! Just get it through your head that the brat's good at seducing! VOI!" Squalo scowled at his boss, wine dripping from his hair and onto the table as he did so. During the distraction, Iemitsu composed himself with a small cough before nodding at the Xanxus and his guardians.

"I see. It seems that my business here is done then. Thank you for your time, Xanxus."

Not expecting an answer, he exited the room and hurriedly got into the black car he had arrived in, much to his subordinates confusion. The other man knew well enough not to ask question, so Iemitsu was left to contemplate his thoughts and sink into a slouched position.

_'My daughter is good at seduction!'_ He gripped his hair in despair before he shook his head. _'No, get a hold of yourself! You're acting like that time before you asked Nana out! Ah... maybe this is why Tsuna freaks out that way?'_

Iemitsu thought back to the pictures of his son- the ones that showed him nervously gripping his hair in an extremely similar fashion- that his spies had sent him.

_'Maybe I should speak to my kids about dating and love.'_ He grimaced at the painfully awkward image of a possible scenerio in his head before shaking it away. _'Or I can just leave it to Nana and hope she doesn't romanticize it too much. Yeah, sounds like a plan...'_

* * *

Once the plane landed, Tanpopo was quick to decline the ride the car waiting for us before disappearing to who knows where. This left Kyoya and I together in the car, but it was hardly uncomfortable after all that time we spent together. So, I didn't let his taciturn nature disturb me. In fact, it merely let me have some time to rewind given all the excitement that I've been through for the past few months.

"Hamu." I blinked in surprise as the hamster that I was previously petting jumped out of my hold and went to Kyoya. The warmth he left lingered before it quickly dissipated due to the car's AC being on full blast. Huffing, I leaned on the car door and dully watched the two.

"Looks like he missed you. You know, you're weirdly good with animals."

Kyoya's eyes flickered to me for a second before he went back to petting the orange and white hamster.

"She was mad when I gave her your note."

It was surprising that Kyoya decided to make conversation, but the topic was less than desirable.

"I wouldn't doubt it. I did go behind her back and allied myself with someone as shifty as Icarus." I shifted my gaze from Hamu to him, watching him for any reaction. "Are you mad at me too?"

"Hn?"

"She's your godmother, you care for her. She's one of the few you are loyal to, so maybe you would be made at me because I kept a potentially dangerous secret from her."

He huffed as he let Hamu snuggle into the nape of his neck, showing a more tender side than he seemed capable of. "There's no reason for me to be mad. I can think for myself, just because she's angry doesn't mean that I am."

"I see," I lamely observed. Though my tone wouldn't have indicated it, I did feel a little better at hearing what Kyoya thought. "All right, so Tanpopo sort of told me a reason of why she came to get me in Italy, so why did you? Did Kosame tell you to?"

"You ask too many questions."

"And maybe I wouldn't if you just answered them." I shot back, but I let it drop since I felt no need to antagonize the older boy.

"Hey, Kyoya?"

"What is it now?"

"... Thanks for coming to find me. Even if you didn't want to, I still appreciate it."

"Hn... You talk too much."

I grimaced at the tonfa that hit against my leg and retracted the bruised limb to my chest.

"Fine, be that way. Fuck you too, Kyoya."

~Transition_\\('-')/_Transition~

_**Slap**_

The atmosphere was stifling as the slap rung out into the air. Kosame lowered her hand and gave the girl in front of her a stern glare.

"Why didn't you tell me that Icarus approached you? Do you realize how dangerous he is? Not only that, but you even went and took a mission from him and ended up killing an emissary from another family."

Nakuka didn't answer, simply staring at the stretch of flooring between them both. A faint feeling of betrayal and hurt echoed in her chest as she stood there, subconsciously trying to look apathetic as to not tip off Kyoya who was watching just mere meter away.

"Listen, you can't go around keeping secrets like that. It can get you killed someday and until you've been around in the mafia long enough to understand that, then you should be seeking the help of those around you."

There was a brief pause before Kosame folded her fan up and sighed. She turned to Hibari and gave him a meaningful look; wordlessly, the boy pushed himself off of the shogi door's frame and left the room to them. Nakuka watched as her teacher moved away from her, neatly tucking her kimono under her legs as she sat at the kotatsu table.

"Come."

Kosame beckoned her to sit across from her, which she did so obediently. They sat in each other's presence, Nakuka was not quite sure of how to go about the conversation that was about to start, but she didn't have to figure it out as Kosame broke the silence.

"You realize we're just worried about you, don't you? We just don't to find out that you were murdered because you were somewhere at the wrong time."

"We? You keep saying that, but who else are you talking about?" Nakuka sent the woman an unsure look and watched as she sighed, clearly exasperated with her.

"Kyoya and I. We have all grown closer in these past months and having you throw it all away by running of like that was a betrayal of our trust."

"I didn't mean it to be like that..."

"I know you didn't, but trust is a very important aspect in any relationship and we need you to trust us to be able to help you out whenever you need it." Kosame sighed deeply before looking out into the garden and noting the red spider lilies that were popping up once again. She shook her head before tucking a strand of loose hair back. "Trust is something very sacred to our family and it means even more to Kyoya."

"He doesn't trust anyone."

"That's true, but he's not as heartless as you think he is." Kosame smiled sullenly. "He's had issues with letting others near him ever since he was a child. Do you know why he chooses to fight with tonfas instead of more practical weapons like guns? It's because they remind him of his father, my brother. He was a police officer and he used to brag about how he maintained the peace of Namimori without pulling his gun even once, just a single swing of his nightstick and he would make all the criminals shake in fear.

"Kyoya really looked up to him. He was like a hero to him and his father's love for Namimori became something that he took up as well. It wasn't until the day that my brother took a favor from a friend to take his shift that everything changed. Of course, my brother was too kind hearted to turn down the favor and so he went to investigate a black market dealing that was suppose to take place near Namimori; though, before he had even left, someone had already tipped off the dealers and they were already expecting him to show up.

"Normally, he would have been fine and would have fought them off with that monstrous strength of his, but he could only do so much to fight off the ambush. He ended up dying during the fight and his body was left in that shoddy warehouse after they made their deals. Kyoya was never quite the same after that and his mother falling ill didn't help the matters either. He stopped letting others near him and hated those who gathered in groups, viewing them as too weak to stand alone. He didn't take favors and never asked for any help as he knew that it would mean that he would be obligated to help them out when the time came. Eventually, he became obsessed with keeping the peace of Namimori, just like how his father did the same."

The nostalgia disappeared from Kosame's face as she her half lidded eyes were replaced with a stern countenance. Her fan tapped against her open palm meaningfully before she continued her lecture.

"So, you see? The fact that Kyoya let you this close says a lot. He may not say much and is not very truthful about his feelings, but he does trust you and cares for you even if he denies it. He's the type to not easily let others into his life, but once he has accepted them, then he would fight his hardest to keep them safe. That goes for me too. I would do anything to keep my family safe and that includes Takeshi, you, and Kyoya. So please, trust us enough to have your back just like we trust you to have ours."

Nakuka sat in disbelief. How was she suppose to respond to such a backstory? Such a past wouldn't have come to mind when thinking about the Kyoya she knew, though she suppose that she has never really thought of Kyoya as anything but the person she knew today. Despite that, Nakuka nodded to the woman.

"I'm sorry. I didn't realize how much trust you both put into me."

"It's fine as long as you learn from your mistakes. Now, go on home. Your mother is probably missing you from how long you've been away from home."

Kosame smiled at the girl as she got up, about to leave before she stopped her by calling her name.

"Nakuka. I'm also sorry for hitting you, I was out of line."

Her silent nod told Kosame that she was forgiven. She would have laughed at how similar it was to how Kyoya would have responded, but she felt to nostalgic at the moment to do so as she listened to Nakuka's fading footsteps. Opening her fan up once more, she started to fan herself and listened to the second pair of footsteps lightly padding away from the room. A sad smile graced her lips as she glanced out the door and sighed once more.

"That boy..."

* * *

It had been about two days since her talk with Kosame. Nakuka realized that the woman was just worried about her, but she felt that she needed some time to herself and just didn't have the heart to contact the woman yet.

_'Maybe I'll visit her tomorrow. I forgot to ask her about these Knight people.'_ Nakuka nodded to herself and made a mental note to ask Kyoya what type of snacks Kosame would most likely enjoy. _'Though, she doesn't seem like the type to snack...'_

Nakuka deadpanned at the thought before shrugging it off. It wasn't her issue if the woman didn't want to eat what she brought, it just meant more snacks for her. That is, as long as Kyoya didn't try to beat her up for not sharing.

"What a dick, he'd probably beat me up for penny. Huh?"

She slowed down for a moment, the air around her felt different and the way it seemed to sluggishly feel against her mind's skin reminded her of a similar situations all those months ago.

_'Mist flames?'_

And that's when the frustration kicked in as she was able to distinguish reality from illusion, but she had no idea on how to break away from it. So, she sighed and stopped, yelling out into the open air in hopes of a nonviolent answer.

"Hey! Knock it off! I know you're casting an illusion!"

"I told you she would notice, Aster. She's been around too much mist flames and became heightened to them."

There was a soft, exasperated sigh before the atmosphere shifted once more. A group of cloaked figures materialized out of the air while a colored film of flames flickered into existence and formed a barrier. Nakuka shifted into a more wary stance, unsure of what these random figures wanted with her and why they would bring her to the park.

"What do you want?"

"You have something of ours."

Nakuka blinked in confusion, not quite getting what they were talking about until one of them sighed and pulled out a golden medallion.

"Ah, it's about that? I can return it to you right now if you want. I have it right here."

"There's no need for that."

Nakuka paused at the mist user's, whom was most likely the one they called Aster, dulcet voice and her hand fell from the edge of her pocket. Her eyes flickered between each member that stood in front of her before giving up when she couldn't identify, or see, any facial features.

"Why?"

"Members of the _Knights of the Red Lily_ always receive a medallion upon induction."

"That's a mouthful." Nakuka muttered under her breath before speaking louder. "What does that have to do with me, though?"

"You're gonna join the club, of course." A strongly feminine voice answered for Aster. She leaned on the shorter, most likely, female and waved her hand in feigned boredom. "We've been watching you for so long. Well, not exactly us in particular, but _us_ if you get what I'm saying."

"What Delphine is trying to say is that we noticed traits in you that would indicate that you would belong with us and we merely came to collect our new member. All those who remember must contribute to the cause."

"And what if I said I'm not interested?" Nakuka tested them as she raised an eyebrow at the group. The biggest figure of the group, too big for normal human's frame, shifted their cloak so that their meaty fists were displayed and proceeded to curl one of them and lightly pound it into his other.

"Then you answer to me."

"Using scare tactics and ganging up on a little girl? You guys really have no shame. Can't believe I'm agreeing with Kyoya's ideals, but I can't see myself being with a bunch of cowards like you. So, go eat a bag of dicks."

"Ha! I told you she wouldn't join, Delphine! She has more of a mouth then you thought she did!"

The woman huffed at the giant man before she waved him away. "Whatever, Orris. Just control your strength and try not to kill her. There's a chance that she'll reconsider after going toe-to-toe with you."

"No promises."

"Don't worry, little spitfire. We won't intervene. Orris alone is enough for this scuffle."

Nakuka opened her mouth to retort and ask if it was common for their operatives to have flower names, but she didn't get to as Orris was suddenly bearing down on her and was forcing her roll out of the way. Distinctly, she heard a crack and splintering behind her before she scrambled to move out of the way of another punch. While she dodged, she briefly saw the remains of the thick tree she had been standing in front of.

_'This is bad! He'll kill me if he even lands a single hit!'_

A cold sweat dripped down Nakuka's face and she inwardly cursed as she realized that just a few minutes into the fight that she was becoming tired. Orris was giving her no reprieve and at this rate she would either have to submit to their forceful invitation or die.

"Man, this girl's no fun. The only thing she can do is dodge."

Orris backed off with a hint of disappointment in his voice before Delphine's piped up from further away. "At least she can do that much! The last few guys were immediately downed once you got to them."

The man hummed in agreement as his stance relaxed, seemingly not caring about the fact that he was just about to murder a girl with his bare fists. Nakuka warily regarded the Lily operatives as they casually bantered with one another. Normally, she would have been ticked off about such blatant disregard towards her, but she couldn't find it within herself to care at the moment. Her life was at stake.

So, Nakuka decided to take this chance and observe them, her breathing was heavy as she stared the hooded freaks down. She regarded them warily, not trusting that the other members would keep out of the fight just because they promised they would. She didn't have to long to survey them as a sudden movement caught her attention. The hooded man was gone despite the fact that she just saw him standing there and in that split second of shock she froze before her intuition told her to get out of the way. Sprays of earth were suspended in air for a brief second and before Nakuka had any time to react, the hooded man charged through the debris while his arm shot out.

His palm strike caught her in the stomach and caused her to fly off a few feet away, tumbling until she finally came to a stop; she was immediately pushing herself up on her knees as she retched from the force of his attack. Wasting no time in anymore dry heaving, she stood up with blazing anger in her eyes and shot at him with her guns, but no matter how much she shot, he seemed to evade every single bullet fired at him.

"Just go away, damnit!"

Once again, Nakuka was forced to run away when the towering man's form appeared behind her. A cold sweat dripped down her temple when she sound of his fist breaking through the ground behind her. When she looked backed, she could only thank her intuition since the previous spot where she had been standing in was now a small crater. For the brief second that she stood there, she felt something clench her heart as a shiver racked her body.

_'Fuck... Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!'_

She let out an angry cry and launched herself at the target, once again shooting at her target; her fist lashed out, but he easily caught it with his large hand engulfing hers before he threw her to the side. The two fighter found themselves a fair amount of distance away from each other when an upsetting realization dawned on the young girl. Nakuka's fingers twitched as her body shuddered for the second time, but even she couldn't convince herself that it was due to adrenaline when she saw the gun in her hand shaking.

_'I'm not afraid. I can't be afraid. Don't you dare be fucking afraid!'_ Her teeth ground against each other. Disappointment and anger fiercely thrummed in her veins at how easily the hooded man could evoke fear out of her. Her fists tightened around her weapon.

_'What was the point of all of that training if I'm just going to be swatted around like this?! I talked big to father and now I can't even back myself up when it really counts!'_

"You fucking bastard." Nakuka growled out despite the lingering fear. Roughly, she shoved the back of her hand against the corner of her mouth, wiping away the spittle that had collected when the man struck her. Tensing her legs once again, Nakuka sprang into a run while pocketing her right hand gun. She swung her bare fist once she got close enough, but as expected, he easily blocked the punch. Though, she wasn't quite done yet as she dropped into a crouch while swiping a leg out at his.

"Gah!" A pained cry involuntarily sounded from Nakuka when the Knight of the Red Lily member kicked her away, seemingly without breaking a sweat as his steady breath puffed against her damp skin from behind. Mercilessly, the man brought his foot down on the girl's back and watched in disdain when the girl struggled to shakily push herself up. He huffed in irritation.

"Why don't you just give up? You know that you can't win against me. We've been watching for a while now and we've seen how fast you've progressed through your training with Yamamoto Kosame, but it seems her teaching was wasted on you if you can't even land a single hit on me. Look, you can't even fight against me."

To emphasis his point, he bent down and pushed her face into the dirt. Bits of gravel and broken twigs stung as they rubbed abrasively against her flesh and caused it to redden; Nakuka gritted my teeth together, enduring the pain and humiliation that accompanied the harsh treatment that she couldn't fight against.

"You're weak. Powerless. You should just die here if you're going to be this useless."

Nakuka froze.

"See you're too scared to say anything, you'll nev-!"

**_Bang!_**

One of the members that were supporting the illusion sighed at the sight of their partner being pushed back. A gloved hand poked out of their cloak and their feminine looking hip jutted out as they rested their hand at their waist, regarding the sight in boredom.

"Really? You were getting cocky again. Even if you are stronger than her, you'll die if you aren't careful."

"I don't need you to tell me that." The voice sounded out, seemingly frowning as they inspected the spots of copper blood that decorated the ground, quickly absorbing into the ground and turning the soil a shade darker in turn. His head raised when he caught of the girl standing up; slowly, ever so slowly, she raised herself to her feet and stabilized herself. He waited for her to rashly attack him again, but she simply stood there and stared at the ground.

"What? Are you really too afraid to speak?"

"Don't." He paused, sensing something was wrong as her eerily calm voice reached him. "Don't you dare call me useless."

Her chest heaved in anger as her dark brown eyes blazed with unhidden fury. The man jumped back when she suddenly sped toward him, a combat knife slicing through the air in front of him before a kick struck him in the chest.

_'She suddenly got better. How?'_ His eyes flew to the ring on her right hand, catching the small spark the erupted from it as well as the slight glowing from her forehead.

"Orris!" He didn't answer to his code name as he was too busy dodging the girl's attacks, though the man had a feeling he knew what his comrade had to say. She went in for another punch, but his own hand once again clamped down on her's before he maneuvered himself behind her and restrained her.

_'She's better, but not good enough...!'_

A sudden gun shot ripped through the side of his cloak, grazing his torso just enough to make it bleed rather profusely.

"You little..." He cursed angrily before letting out an angry yell that reverberated from his diaphragm and startled the nearby birds. His larger frame bore down on the young teen before he slammed both hands towards her.

"Hey, Orris, calm down! Come on, you guys say something too!" The feminine cloaked figure tried to appeal to the enraged man and her teammates, but the other two were too busy strengthening the mist and lightning flames that poured from their gloves. Anxiously, they redirected their gaze back to the two fighters and saw that they both had their hands intertwined, pushing against each other in a show of pure strength. Nakuka slid back little by little and it was obvious to them all that she was going to lose.

"Just give up! You'll never win, you little shit!" His voice boomed at the snarling face in front of him, but she didn't at all seem interested in what he had to say as her fury made her lose any sense she had. Orris's eyes widened in shock when she started to push back harder and harder until he himself was being overpowered. With a final shove, Orris went crashing into the ground behind him. As he tried to catch his breath, a shadow casted across him and he noticed a animalistic looking Nakuka winding up to deliver the final blow. Despite the cries of his comrade, he closed his eyes and prepared to receive the strike. There wasn't enough to dodge and he knew in this state that her strength would be enhanced, enough to cave his ribs in and pierce his lungs.

"Ah!"

Orris's eyes flew open at the gasp. His eyes snapped to the frozen figure above him and watched as she trembled, her ring flashing murky colors of sparks before a azure flame fizzled out of it and then turned into a blazing an orange conflagration.

"AHHHH!" Nakuka writhed as the burning flame fluctuated on the ring before another appeared on her forehead briefly before it smoldered out of existence, leaving a familiar flesh colored symbol in its place. In her moment of weakness, Orris took his chance and ripped off his glove, revealing the Knights' symbol before slamming it into the girl's forehead. She instantly fell back, but Orris's hand never left contact from her skin even as she was forced to the ground. The animalistic daze lead way to a tumultuous glint in her eyes before tears gathered and threatened to spill over.

Her screams transformed from being physically pained to one of terror as memories flitted through her mind, her view points changing rapidly from being abused to getting married and then being burned alive. The different scenes were too much for her as they not only felt too real, but foreign emotions also flooded into her like she was the one who was personally experiencing each of these memories. The pain and flood of information made her feel like she was being torn apart, overwhelmed and swallowed up by the more painful scenes; a pained whimper left her and the thought of welcoming death seemed more pleasant by every minute.

_'Please, somebody stop this!'_

Suddenly, the transient images stopped and she was left to blink away the dissipating memories of drowning before her eyes dazedly focused on the figure in front of her. A shock of flaxen colored hair shined in the sunlight as Nakuka tiredly gazed at the suit jacket covered back. She would have felt more startled if she wasn't trying to get a grip of herself; her mind was so muddled to the point that she couldn't bring herself to care that Icarus was now standing in front of her, seemingly saving her from her losing fight.

"My, my, looks like you bit off more than you could chew, Na-chan. I'm quite dismayed, I thought you knew better. Though, I suppose it excites me that you didn't do what I thought you would do. Hm, maybe I'm more pleased than I thought."

"Who are you? How did you get in?" Orris coughed before he spat out a glob of bloody phlegm. Icarus watched him in amusement as he made his way back to the other knights, never turning his back to them while he did so.

"Hm?" Icarus hummed a laugh as his lips curled. "I suppose who I am is not too important at the moment, but I will say that breaking through your defenses was mere child's play."

"Orris..." Aster hissed worriedly before making the solid man bend down to lend his ear. His shoulders tensed and his hidden eyes were brought back to the suited man.

"You're Icarus."

"Aaa~" Icarus let out an whine before shrugging his shoulders capriciously. "Looks like the secrets out. And while I would like to play more with you, I have something to do today. So, why don't you leave my darling little Na-chan and go about your merry way?"

"Ngh..." Orris looked conflicted before the gloved hand of the other knight landed on his bicep; at the shake of their head, the burly man reluctantly backed off. "Fine, we'll be taking our leave, Golden Wings Icarus."

"Oh my, I'm surprised such a lackluster moniker stuck. I thought people would be more creative than to reference my name to a character from Greek mythology, though I suppose it is better that my wings are made of gold rather than feathers and wax. That combination falls apart so easily, don't you think?"

The knights warily watched the grinning man before the one that was using mist flames activated them once again and made them disappear along with their presence. Seeing as they had left, the golden haired man started to stroll away until a shuttering voice stopped him.

"Why?"

"Hm?" Icarus smiled widely, but didn't bother to turn to the collapsed girl. "Why what?"

Nakuka would have normally growled at his false ignorance, but she could barely keep herself together much less get angry at him. It already took too much for her to try and control the wavering in her voice.

"Why did you help me?"

"Help you? Hm, I guess you could call it that; I just felt like it." The jolly tone of his answer made Nakuka feel he was being all too truthful, but it satisfied her enough so that she didn't try to stop him from walking away again. "Try not to get too predictable, Na-chan, or else I might just get bored of you."

She watched as the man waved over his shoulder, walking rather peacefully for someone who had just stopped another person from murdering her. Once he was out of sight, Nakuka let her face rest against the dirt of Namimori's park, not even caring if she got dirty from it. She was already a mess at the point, a little more dirt couldn't hurt her already ragged appearance.

"Ngh~" A whimper left the collapsed girl as she tried not to cry, but even she couldn't hold it back as a flood gate seemed to open in her and let all the tears she had loose. "Uwaah~"

Misery laced her cries as she sobbed into the dirt. Her salty tears stung the cuts on her face, but it only made her cry harder as it reminded her that she was still alive. She was still there. She was neither being immolated nor sexually assaulted and the pain that wracked her body was the only anchor that kept her from despairing.

After crying for a short time, she sniffed loudly before weakly extracting the battered cellphone from her pocket; thankfully, the screen still lit up when she turned it on and went to the contacts stored within the device. Her eyes paused on Kosame's name before she remembered the scolding she received -and frankly she wasn't ready to face her in the condition she was in- and chose a name that she thought she would never call.

The cell rang once before a squeaky voice picked up and spoke its infamous catchphrase.

"Ciaossu."

"Reborn..." Whispering feebly into the phone, Nakuka's breath caught again before she forced down the sob that threatened to come up. She didn't want to humiliate herself more than she had to.

"Nakuka. What's wrong?"

"... C-Could you just come to the park?"

There was a short silence before the hitman responded solemnly, seemingly getting the situation through the tone of her voice. "I'll be right there."

Breathing heavily, Nakuka let her drop to the ground and continued to lay there for a couple of seconds. She felt that she could have instantly fallen asleep right there, but she forced herself up with a hiccup and practically dragged herself to the base of a nearby tree. Once there, she let herself drop against the rough bark of the tree; incidentally, making her back take the brunt force of her careless action before she drew her knees in and buried her face into them. Completely out of any more tears to shed, Nakuka was reduced to hiccuping and having her breath hitch uncontrollably as she waited for Reborn to show up.

While normally she wouldn't be caught dead looking so pitiful in front of someone, she felt that all the pride that she once had was shattered and thus had nothing left to keep her from reaching out to someone for comfort, even if that person was an infamous baby hitman.

~Transition_(ू˃̣̣̣̣̣̣︿˂̣̣̣̣̣̣ ू)_Transition~

When Reborn arrived, Nakuka was in the exact position she was previously in. She didn't move an inch even as the sun arcobaleno approached and took in her beat up appearance. He frowned imperceptibly before voicing his arrival, making sure to tone down his more abrasive side; mafia charm was a part of his hitman repertoire, after all.

"Nakuka."

His charcoal colored eyes caught the minute twitch in her hand, letting him know that she heard him. He contemplated on his next actions, but it turned out he didn't need to when she slowly lifted her face away from her knees and revealed the injuries on her face. But what caught his attention was the red, puffy appearance of her eyes; her exhausted semblance and attitude made him frown as he tried to figure out what the cause of it could be. Instantly, a few probable causes entered his head and he had to hope it came down to a bad fight as opposed to the other, more violating event.

"Nakuka, what happened?"

Listlessly, her dark eyes trained onto the hand he had laid on her hand and she took a rather shaky breath. The hand under his moved slowly and he watched as it snaked into one of her pockets before it tugged out a golden medallion and laid it at his feet. Alarmed, he scanned the icon embossed on the metal before his eyes shot up and scanned her face for any clues as to why she had a knight's medallion.

"They came."

And he understood immediately, though the reasons for why they came he did not. His eyes continued to scan her, there must have been more to her short answer. A light breeze suddenly picked up and whipped their hairs around, but Nakuka didn't seem to notice it too much even as Reborn's gaze flickered the her forehead. Immediately, he jumped onto her knee and pushed the dark strands of hair that had stuck to her forehead quite a while ago to reveal the symbol that made his blood run cold.

"How did you get that?"

Despite the slow, lethargic way her eyes met his, he could tell that she had no idea what he was talking about.

"Knights of the Red Lily, their symbol is on your forehead. How did you get it?"

Her mouth opened slightly before it closed again. Her dark gaze fell to his shoes as she faintly shook her head. "I don't know."

Reborn resisted the urge to sigh, but he knew that new mafiosos like Sawada Nakuka would take longer to rebound from trauma than seasoned veterans like himself. So, he couldn't expect her to answer him concisely.

"What happened? What did they do to you?" He paused for a short moment before continuing cautiously. "Did they _hurt_ you?"

Nakuka let out a humorless laugh as her face twisted up into a exhausted somberness. "Look at me. Does it look like I'm okay?"

"You know what I meant."

Reborn's sideburns flew away from his face when her breath brushed across his face before they rebounded to their rightful places. She slumped forward more than she already was before she forced herself to sight up higher and straightened her back out, trying to maintain the last remnants of her pride. When she found that her heart wasn't into it, she slouched once more.

"No, they didn't do _that_ to _me_. They just swatted me around like a ragdoll before Icarus scared them off."

"Icarus?"

When Nakuka shrugged at the question, Reborn let his lips pull back into a semi-frown.

_'Your children attract too much trouble, Iemitsu.'_His thoughts immediately went to his student and he had to pull the rim of fedora down just in case Nakuka misinterpreted his expression. _'And they're changing too fast for it to be normal. Could it be their effect on each other and the mafia?'_

"What is it?" He watched as the girl froze, seemingly nervous that she was caught, but then released a breath before deciding to tell him what was on her mind.

"They did something. That Orris guy... he took off his glove and then put his hand on my forehead." She pulled her scuffed up hands in front of her, lamely displaying them for herself before she clenched them. "Then I started to see these scenes through other people's eyes... memories... I was riding a bike for the first time, baking cheesecake, _raped_. There were so many memories that I couldn't think straight, it made my head hurt. It made me want to die."

_'Ah, so that's why she worded her previous statement that way.'_ Reborn's frown deepened, but he let her continue as she was at the peak of her rant and ready to overstep the imaginary boundary that kept her distant from those around her.

Her teeth clenched for the fourth time that day as crystalline tears lined her eyes and made them glitter through the spotty sunlight that fluttered through the trees. Abashedly, she tried to unsuccessfully cover her burning face up with a single hand. Hot tears rolled down her cheeks, too easily for her liking, as she poured her heart out to the hitman; she felt a foreign sense of embarrassment and shame that came with it, but she also felt relieved and calmed with the fact that she was had trusted someone enough to be truthful with them.

"I felt so useless. Everything I did, they did it better and faster. I couldn't keep up with them despite all the training I've done and I was humiliated as a result. I could have been killed, but even that dignity was taken from me when Icarus had to come and safe my sorry ass! I couldn't do anything! I couldn't do a damn thing!"

Reborn stayed silent as he watched the young girl cry tears of frustration. She constantly sniffed to keep her nose from running, but she ended up using her sleeves to wipe them away which only added to making her feel more pathetic. Once he felt that she had enough time to pity herself, he cut in.

"But you're still alive." She raised her head, her tears slowing to an occasional drop or two. "You're still alive, aren't you? So become stronger and faster so that this won't happen again. If they are two steps ahead of you, then you take three. If they break your bones, you break their's back. If they kill you, then come back to life and kill them. Pitying yourself won't get you anywhere and you can only rely on yourself to get results, but that doesn't mean you have to do it alone."

He glanced up at her to check if she was still listening. She was, and rather intently as well. A small smirk twisted his lips as he didn't even bother to hide it from her, putting it on full display for Nakuka to see the confidence that brimmed behind it. He couldn't resist putting in a lesson or two while he lectured her, but that didn't mean he spoke any less truthfully than he normally did. Because he was being one hundred percent truthful, something he tried to strive for after the curse and when he created Reborn; he decided to try and rediscover himself, to become a new person, so why not try to put his second chance to good use and do it through these overly optimistic kids?

"Tsuna cares about you and his bleeding heart-type personality wouldn't let you go a single a single step if he thought that it would hurt you. His famiglia are behind him as well and would do their best to help even if Tsuna didn't order them too; that is simply their personalities. Truthfully, they're much too kind hearted for a job like this, but I suppose that kind hearted is something that the mafia has been missing for a while now."

"A-Ah..." By the look in her eyes, he knew he had gotten through to her. Her eyes became fiercer, transforming from their nebulous shade of damp soil to a livelier shade of dark roasted coffee beans. In his head, Reborn made a mental note to get espresso later.

"Let's get you home now. It would look suspicious if people saw a beaten up girl in the park, though you can't go walking around with that symbol on your forehead. Looks like I'll have to call Tsuna for some assistance, then." Reborn suggested devilishly, pretending for a second as if he was at a loss of what to do. Amusedly, he noticed Nakuka tense up in alarm before her gaze flickered to him in apprehension.

"Do you really have to do that?"

"Yes." And he left no room for argument as he dialed the number and gave the boy two minutes to get to the park at the risk of receiving punishment. Surprisingly, Tsuna came before he even got ten seconds into the second minute. The boy's hair was definitely a sign that he had to run with all his might in order to make it, but it made Reborn nod in approval at the accomplishment. He breathed rather heavily with the item Reborn requested squashed between his left hand and knee; whatever complaint he had died on the tip of his tongue when he noticed the figure huddled at the base of the tree, looking worse for wear as she regarded him without the usual ill-temperedness he was used to.

Tsuna's eyes sharpened in trepidation before he crouched down to meet his sister's level. His eyes blazed heatedly and bled a more orangey color before settling to a burnt orange color. Involuntarily, his hands came up to cup her face which made her stiffen at the unfamiliar gesture, but instinctively she knew that it was best that she stayed still.

"Nakuka, who did this to you? Please, answer me." When he saw her hesitation, he said her name again with more force behind it almost as if he was commanding her; though, neither of the two realized it at the moment since they were too focused on each other to notice. Her eyes glanced away as her features flickered, unsure of the display in front of her as she was usually the one to clean up Tsuna's mess, not the other way around. A small sigh escaped Tsuna before he firmly straightened her face towards him and thus her eyes as his eyebrows drew together in a stern countenance that many were not used to.

"Dad has kept secrets from us for too long, don't do the same."

"...They're called the Red Knights of the Lily. Some of their operatives came and beat the shit out of me, but I'm okay now. I've had my moment and I'm fine now. Just as Reborn said, I'll just have to train and become stronger than I am now."

"You were crying."

"As I've said, I'm fine." Uncharacteristically gentle, she brought her hands up to his and removed them from her face, but didn't let go once she did so. A cheeky smirk graced her split lips and a small laugh bubbled up from her despite the circumstances. "I'll just have to beat their asses twice as hard, won't I?"

"Huh." Tsuna gazed at her in surprise before he too adopted a smile. "Just don't break too many bones."

"Can't promise you that."

The baby hitman watched as the older Sawada took the dark purple handkerchief from his hand and folded it so that it became rectangular in shape, then wrapping it around Nakuka's forehead to conceal the mark. The hitman smiled in satisfaction when Nakuka waited patiently for her brother to finish tying the cloth.

_'It seems that they've bonded rather quickly. All it took was a near death experience to achieve it. Hm, I suppose that means that I should pay a visit to a certain rain guardian's aunt.'_

Forcing himself out of his thoughts, Reborn came back to reality just in time to see Tsuna grab onto Nakuka's hand and hoist her up using his weight as a countermeasure. The two of them steadied themselves out before Tsuna turned an expectant, and noticeably brown, eye towards the baby hitman and called out to him.

"Reborn, are you coming?"

For once, Reborn decided to be merciful as he went to stand on his student's shoulder. Leon crawled happily around the brim of fedora and contently curled around it to sunbathe while the trio were set into motion.

"I suppose we should get you cleaned up, huh Nakuka?"

"What gave you that clue?" The girl snarked at him, but the air around them was notably relaxed. "Is mom home?"

"Uh, yeah I think so... Oh shit! What are we going to tell her when she's sees you like this?"

Nakuka raised her eyebrow at the boy, watching as he ran his hands through his hair in worry before she scoffed.

"And here I thought you were being cool for once."

"Huh?"

She ignored his confusion. "Let's just tell mom that some guys were picking on me and that you came to beat them up." Despite the smirk she gave him, he didn't feel as reassured.

"Eh, I think mom would just view me as some sort of hooligan then."

"Doubt it, I'm sure she'd think you were becoming a dreamy man hero or something like that. She really likes those fantasy-romance stories, you know?"

"Ah, that _is_ true."

"Tsuna, when we get home, make me some espresso. It better be good, or you'll have to crawl backwards to and from school ten times."

"What?! That's impossible! You're way too picky about your coffee!" Reborn held out a gun shaped Leon to the boy's forehead.

"Was that a complaint I heard?"

"No." Tsuna grumbled miserably while running a hand down his face, coincidentally missing Reborn's smirk as Leon went back to his rightful place on his hat.

_'Well, I can't be nice all the time. I'd lose my authority if I got too soft.'_

* * *

It didn't take too long for me to get back into the swing of things. Of course, I unfortunately had an ungodly amount of schoolwork to make up, but I was fine other than that. Hana had offered to teach me what I had missed in science since she also took the class with me (who knew that she was such a genius at it?) and Tanpopo offered something similar for the rest of my subjects. A few people seemed surprised when I finally came into school that day. I had to tell them I was visiting relatives in a different country and when too many of them came to get the story, an annoyed glare was enough to send them away. Luckily, most people didn't ask about the bandana around my forehead, most likely chalking it up to a fashion statement. Even the teacher seemed all right with it, seeing as they didn't mention it as I approached them.

"Good to see you join us today, Sawada-san."

I nodded and muttered a half-hearted "it's good to be back" before flipping through the teacher's homework stack and nodding respectfully. As soon as I walked out of the room, a sudden weight almost made me topple to the floor if said weight hadn't grabbed onto my arm.

"Nakuka-chan! You're back, why were you gone for so long?"

"Kyoko..." My eyes swiveled to the extra person with us. "Haru?"

"Hahi, Haru is happy to see that you're back, Nakuka-chan."

"Ah, right..." I nodded at her, unable to see why she was glad when she never really talked to me; Though, I didn't dwell on it as I met Kyoko's eyes and saw the relief behind them. A tired feeling took over me as I contemplated what to tell her and Haru. "I'll tell you later, Kyoko. Now, you wanna tell me what's going on here?"

"You really are sharp, Nakuka-chan." Kyoko had the decency to look sheepish. "I kind of told Haru-chan about our sparring when we met up at the cake shop and she also wanted to learn with me."

"You don't have to worry about Haru! Kyoko-chan has been teaching Haru during your absence and she has been improving everyday! So, Haru can immediately start sparring with the both of you!"

"That's great?" I blinked at her excited face. "Well, I guess if you're okay with the fact that you could get hurt, then I don't see why not."

The two of them started to celebrate, interlacing their fingers together and jumping in time as a happy smile stretched their lips. I felt the urge to ask why Haru would want to learn how to fight, but I simply shook my head as I turned to walk to the boxing ring.

"Come one, you two. We don't have all day."

"Coming!"

* * *

Nakuka regarded the two girls in front of her, wondering if it was such a good idea on letting Haru join straight away before she shook her head. Haru was all ready informed about the risks of sparring and she consented just like Kyoko had the first time they fought. Deciding to test the two, she had the two pair up and spar against her without any planning since "there is no planning when a fight starts up out of nowhere."

So when Kyoko threw a punch at her, she misdirected the force of her fist before hooking her leg onto the other girl's and then pulling it away to knock the girl off her feet. Haru quickly took the chance to came at me, aiming a kick at my head. I easily grasped her ankle and threw her onto the ground before pushing blocking Kyoko's attacks and striking her in the face. I thought Haru was down, but when I approached to deal a blow to her stomach, she suddenly sprung up and tried to sweep my legs from under me. I avoided them, but I didn't avoid the kick to my chin as she cartwheeled backwards and away from me.

"Hahi! Haru is sorry, Nakuka-chan! She didn't mean to do that!"

"No, it's all right. I should have been more prepared and not underestimate you." Nakuka rubbed her sore chin and worked her jaw, glad that Haru didn't do more than bruise it. "Surprises are good. They catch your opponent off guard and gives you an advantage while fighting, though I have to say maybe Kyoko taught you _too _well when I was gone"

The girl beamed at the subtle compliment and looked happy even when sweat was dripping down her face and stray hairs cling to it. Nakuka nodded at the starry eyed girl before she walked over to a dazed Kyoko, sticking a hand out to her and pulling her up as Haru ran off to fetch their towels and water bottles.

"Sorry about that punch. Your face is probably going to bruise, huh?"

"It's all right. I managed to at least get you a few times before that, so there's no hard feelings." The honey eyed girl laughed before wincing as her cheek muscles tensed, she touched it gingerly and thanked Haru when she handed her an ice pack. "Hopefully, nii-chan won't notice the bruise on my cheek. I've been pretty good about covering it up with makeup, but this one might be harder to do that with. I'm kind of new at makeup too, so maybe I'll just have to figure something out."

"Hahi? Makeup? Haru can help with that!" The brown haired girl excitedly spoke while she nursed her own bruises. She momentarily forgot the pain and pressed too hard on a bruise located on her thigh and made her recoil. "Haru is good a costumes and regularly dapples at in stage makeup, so she can show Kyoko-chan how to hide it!"

"Really? That's great, Haru-chan! Thank you so much! You're becoming spy-like every single moment!"

"Shh! Don't say that out loud, Kyoko-chan! You'll embarrass Haru!" The brunette blushed furiously as the other laughed. Nakuka was about to question why Kyoko would mention spies, but she figured that someone as strange as Haru would enjoy something like that.

"All right, as happy as we are right now, I'm going to head home. Can you two make it home okay?" Nakuka looked at them expectantly as she shouldered her gym back over her shoulder. When they nodded, she said her farewells and headed home even as Kyoko shouted at her back to not forget to meet them at the cake shop at the scheduled time. Nakuka merely waved her off and told them she'd be there before she vanished out of their views.

* * *

Nakuka could wholeheartedly say that she was weirded out at the moment. When Kyoko and Haru mentioned that they wanted her to meet a new friend they had made during her absence, she expected the same shy girl they had described and not the starry eyed, blushing girl she was sitting in front of. She shifted uncomfortably in her chair, shooting Kyoko an unsure glance and even turning a pleading eye towards Haru. They both gave her awkward smiles, nonverbally telling her to deal with it. Nakuka sighed as she adjusted the ball cap she was wearing that day, not quite sure on how to approach the girl.

_'Geez, they're a lot more heartless than I thought they were...'_

Eyeing this "Chrome" girl, Nakuka cleared her throat before giving her a wobbly smile.

"A-Ah, hello?"

Chrome's eyes sparkled, staring at Nakuka with an awed expression set on her face. "Shi-Shimei-sama~"

"Huh?" She raised an eyebrow at the girl, having no clue as to what she was stuttering about. The purple haired girl's face colored rather vibrantly and became flustered as she pulled her tote bag up to her thin frame and began to riffle through it. She seemed to finally find what she was looking for since she pulled out a small book and held it to her chest.

"Y-You're..." The one eyed girl took a deep breath before shoving the book out in front of her for everyone to see. "You look just like Shimei-sama!"

The book she had produced was a manga, the pages flipped open to reveal a female character around the age of 18 with dark tresses and a dour expression. She gallantly stood next to a throne, her dress cascading in a waterfall of fabrics as she watched some nondescript characters dance in a ballroom. Haru and Kyoko leaned in with amazement, looking at the character before looking at Nakuka.

"Wow, Chrome-chan is right. You look exactly like her!"

"Maybe this is what future Nakuka will look like?"

"It's a bit unsettling to be truthful." Nakuka grimaced at the character while she put a hand on top of the manga and put it face down on the table. To save herself from the impending silence, she didn't see Chrome saying much more judging by her expression, she pushed a cake towards the girl once the waiter put them on the table.

"Here. Eat this."

Chrome blinked at the offer and at the reassurance from Kyoko and Haru, she tentatively accepted the plate from Nakuka.

"Oh, I forgot to tell you!" Kyoko clapped her hands in delight and ignored Nakuka's questioning face. "Chrome-chan happens to know Tsuna-kun and the others!"

"Boss is very kind to me."

"Did you know that Tsuna-kun is Nakuka-chan's brother, Chrome-chan?"

At Haru's statement, Chrome turned a shy gaze towards the aforementioned girl whom merely shrugged in confirmation.

"It's true. He's my older brother."

"I didn't know boss had a sister."

"Ah, that's because Nakuka has been gone for the last two months. She just returned recently."

As Kyoko and Haru talked, she and Chrome sat comfortably in silence as they let the two more talkative girls speak. An input here and there was all that was needed for the other two girls to satisfied and thus they were able to eat their cakes in happiness before Haru noticed the time and gasped in shock.

"Hahi! It's all ready this late! Haru needs to get home and finish her homework!"

Kyoko nodded as she stood along with the brunette. She shot the two remaining girls an apologetic smile. "Sorry, Nakuka-chan, Chrome-chan. We need to get going. See you two later!"

As they rushed off, Nakuka continued to sit in silence as she felt no need to start talking again, but she could tell how fidgety Chrome was getting and decided to cut her some slack.

"Well, we should probably get going." She pushed in her chair and looked expectantly at the girl. "I'll walk you home, so show me the way."

"Huh? O-Oh, you don't need to do that for me."

Chrome tried to wave away the offer with a shy stutter, seemingly having gotten over the fact that Nakuka looked like one of her manga characters. Though, Nakuka wasn't having any of that as she picked up Chrome's tote bag and slung it over her shoulder.

"It's not really safe to walk alone these days and someone like you would be a prime target for most people."

"Oh..." The purple haired girl nodded uncertainly and followed her out of the store as the store's cashier called out for them to come back soon. The walk was mostly silent as Nakuka followed the directions Chrome gave her, but it only lasted for so long since Nakuka took a notice to her hairstyle.

"Do you normally style your hair that way?"

"I do."

Nakuka nodded and turned a right at Chrome's instructions. "It reminds me of someone who has a similar style. Maybe it's a popular haircut that I haven't heard about."

"Maybe... This is it."

I blinked and looked up at the building we stopped at, recognizing it as the former amusement park of Kokuyo. "You live here?"

She nodded before gently clasping my hands within her own. "You really are a kind person, just like boss. You didn't seem like it at first, but Shimei-sama was exactly the same way before her character was revealed. Thank you for walking me home, Nakuka-sama."

Nakuka stiffened in disbelief as the girl leaned in and kissed her cheek; the sudden smoke that enveloped them surprised her even more and when the person pulled back, it wasn't Chrome who was standing there. The boy had a smirk on his lips, but he seemed just as confused as she was when he saw her.

"Ah, if it isn't decimo's younger sister."

"Rokudo Mukuro. I didn't think our next meeting would start with you kissing my cheek."

"Hoh~ I didn't think that either, but I guess Chrome had taken a liking to you."

"That's good?" Nakuka made a face. How could she like her so quickly. "But disregarding that, what was with telling me not to trust the Vongola when we first met. You never really explained that."

"It is what it sounds like. They're the mafia and no matter how benevolent them seem compared to the others, it doesn't change the fact that they live underground. But it seems my warning was lost on you as you had gotten involved with some dirty business."

She frowned at the arrogant smile, but didn't grant him the luxury of seeing her annoyed as she pulled her cap down a little bit more. "Come off of it. I know I made some mistakes, but I would have been pulled in eventually because of Tsunayoshi and dad. Disregarding that, I heard that you're in Vindicare prison. I'm assuming that you're just an illusion right now?"

"And you'd be correct about that little flower."

"Don't call me that. Using my name's meaning is not creative in the slightest."

"Kufufu, does it irritate you?"

"Hmph, now I understand why Kyoya hates you so much."

"Hoh? You know the skylark?" There was a spark of interest in his eyes before the swiveled from her face and over her shoulders. His smile became more devious as he spoke. "Well, look at that. Speak of the devil and he shall appear. What do I owe for such a fearsome skylark to come visit my home?"

"Rokudo Mukuro."

Nakuka warily stared between the two, noticing how Kyoya was getting irritated and more bloodthirsty by the second. She was about to step back from Mukuro when all of a sudden he wrapped an arm around her shoulder and prevented her from moving.

"Oh, is it because the little flower decided to come visit me? _The_ skylark can't be that jealous, can he?"

"Don't be foolish." Hibari snarled before charging at them, swinging his tonfa and making Nakuka shriek as it clipped the bill of her hat and sent it flying.

"Watch it, Kyoya! You're trying to bash his face in, not mine!"

Mukuro looked ready to laugh, but when his eyes moved to the only girl of the group, it faded away and his smile dropped. "You-"

He dodged another swipe as Nakuka hurriedly slid the cap on again, frowning as she knew that Mukuro saw the mark on her forehead. She watched as the fought briefly before Mukuro was able to distance himself and flash them a smile.

"Well, it looks like my time here is up. Maybe one day we can continue this fight, skylark." Mukuro turned his head and nodded at the surprised Nakuka. "It also seems that have more to talk about in the future, but in the meantime, make sure to cover that mark up."

Then he was gone in a puff of mist, revealing a confused and tired looking Chrome.

"Huh? Nakuka-sama, Cloud-san?"

"Chrome, what's happening?! I heard fighting out here!"

The three of them turned to see a blond male approaching them as well as a boy with a beanie and barcode tattoo. Chrome regarded the tiredly before she shook her head.

"I'm alright. Nakuka-sama was walking me home. Thank you for worrying about me."

"Tch, I wasn't worried about you, stupid girl. If there's nothing wrong here, then make us some food. We've been waiting for forever."

Nakuka raised an eyebrow at the blond's behavior, but Chrome seemed happy about his forceful request, so she let it drop. Before they left, he turned to them and made a face.

"Scram, we don't any loiterers around here."

"Hmph, like we'd want to loiter around a monkey like you."

Nakuka huffed and turned on her heels, silently leaving with Hibari as she faintly heard Chrome and Chikusa keeping Ken from attacking her. Once they were far enough, she turned an eye to Hibari and watched as Hibird nestled into his raven locks.

"How did you know where I was, Kyoya?"

"Hn. You can't be left alone for one second before getting into trouble."

"Fine. I won't ask. Anyway, do you want to join us for dinner tonight?" Upon seeing that he was about to refuse, most likely with the reason that there would be too many herbivores crowding, she changed her approach. "I heard that mother's making hamburger steak and you'll probably scare the daylights out of Tsunayoshi by appearing."

A smirk pulled at his lips and Nakuka knew that he was in. She smiled and huffed a laugh under her breath.

_'You can be so predictable sometimes, Kyoya.'_

* * *

I was never one to feel nervous, neither in my past or current life, but it seems all those times where I should have been nervous has culminated to this very moment. The serious masks that Reborn and Kosame had set on their faces was putting me on edge and the fact that I knew where this conversation would go didn't help.

"What is this about, Nakuka? Why did you call Reborn and I here?"

I sighed as I laced my hands together. Currently, I was sitting in front of them in the same room that overlooked the garden, the room that became our impromptu meeting place. I had already informed Kosame about what happened in the park with the Knights, but that wasn't exactly my main focus for meeting with the two of them today, even though Reborn's presence did help with telling her. So, I took a deep breath and began.

"I've been thinking... I don't know very much about what's going on around me. Sure, I know the Vongola and Varia, but that's only a little part of it and with the Knights appearing, I can't last much longer. And seeing as how you two don't know anything about them, I'm going to have to ask people who know."

Kosame and Reborn glanced at each other in uncertainty before returning their gaze to me. I knitted my eyebrows and steeled myself, knowing that they won't like what they're about to hear.

"I need to go to Icarus and ask him about them."

"No, absolutely not."

"He knows practically everything that goes on, Kosame. He must know something about the Knights. I need to know what they're about and what this mark means!" I ripped the hat off and held my bangs back to emphasize my point. "If I don't find out now, then who knows when the Knights will come and completely destroy me just like the last time. None of you can be around me 24/7 and who knows if someone will be there to save me just like last time."

Reborn, who had been silent this entire time, decided to speak up. "She does have a point, Kosame."

"Reborn!"

"The Knights are a threat. A threat we know next to nothing about at that. I don't like this option as much as you do, but we don't have much choice here."

I glanced at Kosame and could tell that she didn't like any of this, but she wasn't shooting the idea anymore.

"I could get Tanpopo to be with me whenever I deal with him." I tried to reason. "She seems to know him and came here with him for some reason or another. If anything happens, then there's a chance that she could bail me out. If not, then it's better than being killed off by those hooded freaks."

Kosame sighed and her shoulders sank with all the stress that came out through that one action. Reborn casted her a glance and we both watched in baited silence for her to tell us her decision.

"I want you to tell us whenever he asks you to do anything. And don't make anymore deals without letting us know. Just get the information and try not to stay any longer by his side."

"I'll try my best." I nodded and got up, ready to go find Kyoya so that I could spare with him when Kosame stopped me.

"Try to be careful, Nakuka."

I glanced at the two before nodding once more, resolution and wariness filling me as I did so.

"I'll try..."

* * *

**So, did my making Nakuka's flame rain throw any of you off? I hope it did, because I like surprising people; it makes the story more fun in my opinion. :) And it looks like Tsuna picked up Nakuka's bad habit of cursing, albeit on a much lesser scale. And Kosame seems to have a thing for stopping people right before they leave, huh?**

**ddmahan922: I'm glad you liked it. Truthfully, she was suppose to go back to Namimori last chapter, but one thing lead to another and the chapter turned into a friendship chapter between her and the Varia. And I guess this chapter answered your question, huh? ;)**

**Liana: I honestly don't get why those type of characters don't understand what a smile is. Maybe they're incapable of feeling happiness, but it doesn't mean they don't know what it is in general (unless they've been isolated for one reason or another); so yeah, I can't really stand those characters too much. And I think it's pretty funny that you suggested them. Most people seem to pair Nakuka with the more crazier characters (i.e. Bel and Hibari).**

**Lady Syndra: I'm glad you want to keep reading. It means a lot.**

**Vivienne001: Glad you like it and can do!**

**SuJufan: Thanks for reading! And I definitely will! :)**


	19. Plights of Keeping a Shirt Clean

**Author's Notes:**

**Followers: Reincarnated Koala, Grizzmon, Siegfried01, Hermeigna, berryu, quinton .barnum, Scorpia .Amerzone, wolfscry248, Miss OtterDiva, Burning Lights, Mmyself29, MiYuki Kurama, FallenAngel231312, Aerishime**

**Favorites: GraceHeart27, Grizzmon, aquarionwolf1, Siegfried01, quinton .barnum, Niwasae, wolfscry248, MiYuki Kurama, Tsukiyomi-Hio, FallenAngel231312, Aerishime**

**Sorry that this took so long to get out, I've just been busy as of late. But, I'm think some of you will be happy to know that the future arc will be starting next chapter. Hopefully you guys will find it fun to read.**

**Updated: 5 August 2015**

* * *

It was a normal, and rather boring day, as I walked home from school. I never really had any normal moments like these, so I decided to savor the moment and buy a drink from one of the various vending machines around. The banana flavored milk was rather sweet and synthetic in a way, but it felt like a nice flavor to enjoy while I trekked my way home. That wasn't until my phone went off that I dug it out of my pocket where it pinged two more times before I could even open the first message.

_"This is bad."_

_"He saw it!"_

_"Nakuka, where are you?"_

I raised an eyebrow at the texts and noted how it came from Kyoko, which was odd since I never really texted her.

_"On my way home, why? What are you talking about?"_

"Nakuka!" A shout interrupted my texting and while I heard the phone ping once more, I didn't read it and let it slip into my school bag. Ryohei was the one who called out to me, but his expression seemed different this time as it wasn't the usual cheerful one that he sported. His tone alone told me something was wrong and ventured with caution.

"What is it?"

I warily stared at Ryohei, tensing up when he suddenly came at me. His fists curled into the neck of my shirt which caused it to uncomfortably dig into the back of my neck as he pulled me up enough so that only the tips of my toes touched the ground.

"You were the one who put those bruises on Kyoko's face, weren't you?" I didn't react to his snarl as I sighed slightly, maybe a bit too calmly for Ryohei as his eyebrows drew closer. Kyoko's frantic texts suddenly made sense and I could only curse my luck that the protective older brother had to see Kyoko's bruise.

"Yeah, I was, but it's not like she didn't know that I could possibly hurt her." I registered the rage that flashed through as he drew his fist back, but he paused. His fist trembled with constrained fury as his stormy grey eyes glared at me.

"She's an innocent girl, how can you hurt her like that?"

"She won't be innocent forever, Ryohei. Besides, she was the one who agreed to fight me." His teeth clenched and I quickly raised an arm, deflecting a fist that was intended for my face. I carefully left my face blank even as I felt the biting sensation of a bruise forming on the forearm he had just hit. _'__Shit, this guy hits harder than I expected.'_

"That isn't for you to decide! Kyoko doesn't need to fight like that, she's better than that and I won't let you treat my little sister that way!"

"Calm down." I bit out, he was seriously pissing me off. If there was anything I hated more in a person, it would be stupidity and irrationality. "You need to let her fend for herself for once. What is she, your daughter, your prisoner? Stop deciding things like you know what's best!"

I glared back at him as he stood there, clenching his fists around the fabric of my shirt. I expected him to do something, maybe try to punch me as we stood there breathing heavily with anger, him more so than me. When he didn't say anything, I continued in a lower voice, calmly assessing him as I stared into his eyes.

"Besides, think about what you're doing. You're a hypocrite, you go on about protecting, but is that really what you're doing? Aren't you just hurting Kyoko in the end?"

"I would never hurt her!"

"Not intentionally, no." I stared at him seriously, responding immediately. Against my better judgement, I said something that I knew I shouldn't have. "But you've been doing that all along, haven't you?"

And soon enough, he reeled his arm back. I was prepared to defend myself again, but I knew I couldn't do much against Ryohei's strength, especially since rage was now fueling his punches.

"Onii-chan, stop it!" I swiveled my eyes to the side and saw the stricken face of Kyoko as she clung to her brother's elbow. Tears clung to the corner of her eyes as she continued to tug on the fist. "Please stop this, Ryohei!"

"Kyoko-"

"I don't want this, Ryohei Onii-chan! Please don't hurt her! She did nothing wrong!"

"But Kyoko, she hurt you!"

"Because I wasn't strong enough! We were sparing, it was an accident. She didn't mean to, really, she didn't! You protect me because I'm your little sister, Ryohei, but she's just like me! She's a little sister, too, and I won't forgive you if you hurt her!" Ryohei's eyes widened in surprise and I felt his grip on my slacken. He stood there silently, the shock finally settling as he stared at the amber haired girl.

"Kyoko, you spar?"

"Yes, I do." Kyoko looked up with a certain look, a strong one, as the tear trails dried on her cheeks. "Nakuka offered to teach me how to in exchange for being her partner and helping her practice."

"You never liked fighting, though. How can I forgive her for hurting you." Kyoko shook her head, her hair swishing around her face as she looked solemnly up at her brother. Ryohei's grip finally slackened as they both forgot about me, turning to each other and leaving me to watch the revelation.

"I didn't like seeing you get hurt when you protect me. You were always so reckless, I was afraid you would get hurt."

"I wouldn't-"

"You don't know that!" We were both caught off guard as Kyoko shouted, her pent up feelings seemingly coming out at that moment. "I never wanted to be protected like this! I do like doing girly things like shopping and eating cake, but I liked to fight too! To do sports! To go play in the mud and get dirty! But I was always protected by you and mom and dad! I didn't want you all to worry about me, so I did what you all thought was good for me; that was the only way I could repay you all. I couldn't fight or stand up for myself, I could only hide behind others and let you all protect me. I wanted to help, but the only way I could was to be nice and supportive of you all. But then, I found that I couldn't escape from expectations. I couldn't do the things I wanted to because people didn't think it suited me. So please, onii-chan. Stop worrying about me and live for yourself."

Ryohei sucked in air as if he had just been punched. He seemed to be in pain, but I couldn't necessarily blame him for feeling like that. He just found out his sister didn't want his protection after all.

"K-Kyoko... Is it true? Have I been hurting you this entire time?" She silently bowed her head as she clasped her hands around Ryohei's still clenched fist.

"I really did appreciate it, onii-chan. I just want you to think of yourself for once and let me do my own thing, even if ends up with me getting hurt. I want to have fun, live freely, get my heart broken, find true love, get bruises from fighting with Nakuka. I want to do all these things and I also want to do these things with you, onii-chan, but I can't if I'm constantly behind your back. So, let me see the sunshine with you instead of putting me in your shadows."

**~~~~~ (」°ロ°)」~~~~~**

Ryohei couldn't breathe. How could he? It was like Kyoko was sucking his breath away with each word she spoke. He couldn't help but feel ashamed for not thinking of his little sister this whole time, thinking that he was protecting her when all he was really doing was keeping himself satisfied.

He couldn't help but feel like something socked him in the stomach when she called him Ryohei, she never called him that. And it only got worse as she went on.

"She's just like me! She's a little sister, too!"

_A little sister._

_Like me._

_A little sister just like me._

He suddenly felt sick as he realized just what he was about to do. How could he do something like this? In Kyoko's name, he was going to hurt one of her best friends. How would she have felt when she found out?

Oh God. What would Tsuna have thought?

They would have looked at him differently, like a monster. That's what he felt like, though. He almost hurt someone else's little sister, too. How could he forgive himself if he had really did hurt Nakuka? He has always been warned to keep his strength in check by his mother and Kyoko, but he never did think once that he would actually hurt someone close to him because of his thoughtlessness.

"Let me see the sunshine with you instead of putting me in your shadows."

Ryohei's eyes locked with Kyoko's, finally seeing the sorrow and determination that she held in her. He swallowed, feeling as if he hadn't drank anything for days. Geez, she's too much for him; she always knew how to get her way, even if it was unintentionally. She was just too strong for him.

"I'm... I'm really sorry. I never meant to do this."

"I know, Onii-chan. I know."

And that's when he bursted into tears. He would like to say they were manly tears, but he knew that wasn't the truth so he continued to cry while Kyoko circled her arms around him. He would have laughed if he wasn't so busy with crying, who would have known that Kyoko would have been the one to comfort him this time. The irony was just too bitter for him to swallow, but he did so anyway; he needed to, he realized as he felt Kyoko's hand rub circles on his back.

Just how long has it been since he actually looked at Kyoko? How had he miss such strength in such a small body? He couldn't help but admire how strong she had secretly become. Ryohei had always wanted to be strong and looked up to the strongest fighters in martial arts and boxing, but now he supposed that he had some other people to look up to. Just who would have thought that it was the honey eyed idol of Namimori Middle?

* * *

With all things considering, I didn't know quite what to do with everything pertaining to Kyoko and the other girls. I guess I could call them close friends at this point, but the others being involved with the mafia was a secret that wasn't mine to tell.

"Though, they do deserve to know. I was in a similar situation not that long ago and we all know I felt about that."

The chains in my hands rattled as I readjusted myself on the swings. The park was rather absent of kids today, so Hamu and I were able to enjoy the brief breeze the swinging motion created for us. At some point, he must have fallen asleep as I felt him nestle himself deeper into the hood of my jacket. Without sparing him a glance, I kept my movements to a minimum as to not disturb the little guy.

I sighed once more as I got out the cellphone that Reborn had provided for me. Knowing him, it was probably bugged, but I wasn't too bothered by it as I remembered the conversation that came with it.

_It was a rather peaceful as Reborn and I sat on the backyard's porch, listening to the kids as they ran around the house in a gleeful game of tag. Bianchi was inside, making her "beloved" another dish of love that was bound to turn out poisonous again and Tsunayoshi went out to meet the other guys. What for, I didn't know, but I felt no reason to ask him. All I knew was that he was meeting up with them and the girls to do something today._

_Sighing, I shifted my gaze to the silent hitman next to me. He immediately noticed and his charcoal black eyes gestured for me to speak. I shook my head, sighing in exasperation before falling back onto the weathered wood._

_"I've been thinking... maybe we should tell Kyoko, Haru, and Hana about the mafia."_

_I was met with silence, so I figured Reborn wanted me to elaborate._

_"We've kept them in the dark this whole time and frankly, we won't be able to keep this secret from them. They'll know something is up. There's also the fact that we're putting them in danger; even if we distance ourselves, we won't be able to keep the mafia away from them forever. It's unfair to keep them in the dark, at the mercy of something they're not even aware of."_

_"Are you going to tell them?"_

_"I don't know," I answered truthfully. "It's not really my secret to tell. If I tell them about me being in the mafia, then I'll have to tell them about the others as well."_

_"I see." He shifted the wide brim of the sun hat he wore on top of his head. The fedora he normally wore was stored somewhere safe since he opted for a more summery attire. "That is for you decide."_

_"You're not against it?"_

_"I can't make every decision for you brats. You'll have to judge what is the best course of action and act accordingly."_

_'Brats. It's not like you aren't a brat yourself.'_

_I wince when a paper fan hit the back of my head, causing me to scowl at the "innocent" baby. I must have let that thought translate onto my face, I'll have to be more careful of that in the future._

_"Alright, then. I should probably tell Tsunayoshi what I'm planning to do."_

_"No."_

_"Huh?" An eyebrow cocked up at the baby. Just what was he getting at? Why shouldn't I tell my brother when it concerned his friends? Reborn nodded once more, affirming his statement as he glanced up at me, not bothering to let the blast of water that hit Lambo from a water gun Leon tone down how serious he appeared._

_"Let him tell them on his own time. If you decide to tell the girls, then they'll start to think that he doesn't trust them enough and it could hurt their relationship. They'll feel better knowing that he trusted them enough to come clean."_

_"So, this is all a ploy to deepen their friendship?" I adjusted the ball cap on my head in disbelief. I didn't quite get why their friendship with Tsunayoshi mattered so much, but I didn't question Reborn about it as I let out a whistle. "Are you usually this scheming?"_

_He smirked, clearly amused by this. "Who knows?"_

A small frown pressed my lips into a tight crescent shape as I thought about how troublesome it was to keep up with Reborn.

'I suppose he isn't as bad as Icarus, though.'

Sitting still for a moment, I resolutely nodded to my cellphone and typed out a message before I sent it to the three contacts in my phone. I jumped off the park's swing, making Hamu squeal in displeasure before he tried to nip my ear in retaliation. My finger throbbed from where I had used it to keep Hamu from my auditory orifice, but I ignored it as I promised him something delicious to eat later as long as he behaved. Instantly, he calmed down and sat on my shoulder with a grumpy look on his face.

I ignored his temper tantrum for a second before heading toward my destination, intending to intercept the others before they arrived. A flutter of nervousness briefly shot my senses, but I calmed myself down by breathing in deeply.

"Well, here goes nothing."

* * *

"Mint chocolate chip ice cream in a waffle cone, please. Oh, can I have a small cup with waffle cone chips in it? Thank you."

I nodded to the young adult behind the counter as I received my treat in exchange for the correct amount of currency. She gave me the customary "come again" before I exited the store with Hamu riding in the ice cream cup, munching away at his waffle cone.

"So, what is this about?"

I stopped and sighed at the question, glancing at Hana as she raised her eyebrow at me. Before she could get sassy on me, I continued walking.

"Follow me."

Hana, Kyoko, and Haru shot each other confused looks, but didn't comment on my reluctance to answer. We silently made our way through the people of Namimori and soon enough, we were at the park. Gesturing to the bench in front of me while wiping off fallen leaves, they sat in confused silence.

I made myself comfortable on an upturned rock before looking at them.

"You've been noticing how everyone's been acting strange, right?"

Kyoko and Haru nodded while Hana gave a shrug.

"I haven't been around the monkeys enough to know."

"Ah." I nodded at her description, an understanding passing between us as the two other girls blinked in confusion. "Back to business, the reason behind that is that we're involved with something rather... dangerous."

"Dangerous? Like what?"

"We're involved with the mafia. Pretty much every time we've disappeared, it's because we had to deal with the mafia."

A shocked silence fell over the three girls before Haru choked out a question.

"W-What do you mean? Haru doesn't understand."

"It's exactly as it sounds. We're a part of the mafia. We kill for a living. Well, I don't think Tsunayoshi and the rest have killed..." I watched as their faces paled, making me speak up before they would get any wrong ideas. "But it's not like they wanted to be a part of it. In fact, Tsunayoshi wanted to keep everyone out of it, but I guess having friends who are willing to go that far for you makes it difficult.

"He didn't make it his choice to join the mafia like I did. He just wants to protect those around him. Even if he did resist more, it wouldn't have worked because of our father's connections as well as him being named as the famiglia's successor."

I sighed as I glanced at the park's surroundings, making note of how the damage of my previous fight could still be seen. Silence enveloped the four of us. No one seemed to know what to say as their frozen faces suggested that they were trying to process everything.

"I'm here to tell you this because it's unfair to the three of you that we're putting you in danger without even telling you about it. I'm giving you a chance to distance yourself from us. While you may never escape your affiliation with us, and you'll most likely always be a target used against us, this is your chance to get away as best you can."

I paused to let the information sink in. Silence was expected, but I didn't expect Kyoko's eyes to start watering.

"E-Even Onii-chan is...?"

She couldn't finish her question. A simple nod of my head and a sniffle was heard before the tears started to flow, making her hands fly up to cover her face and Haru robotically turn to comfort her. Hana seemed to have enough of her wits about her, unlike the other two, as she gave me a hard look, her voice strained and a comforting hand absentmindedly rested on Kyoko's shoulder.

"So, this means you've killed before."

It was more of a statement than it was a question. A sigh threatened to waft past my lips when I saw her grip on Kyoko's shoulder tighten, but I resisted.

'It seems Hana has made her decision.'

"I would be lying if I said no."

She seemed satisfied enough with the answer as her posture slackened. I saw that it was my time to leave and let the information sink in with them, so I put my hands upon my knees and pushed myself up.

"Don't get us wrong. They wanted to protect you all from the mafia, so they kept it from you so you wouldn't be worried. I don't necessarily agree to the methods, but I can at least see that they tried. Whether you guys decide to stick around or not, just don't let the guys know that you know. Let them tell you all when they're ready."

Seeing as the girls were too busy with looking lost, I gave them a soft goodbye before leaving them alone to their thoughts.

"That's done, but now comes the hard part."

Shaking my head, I continued my way back home before stopping and shooting Reborn a text to say that I told Kyoko, Haru, and Hana about the mafia. A received a text to confirm that he got a message, but instead of ignoring it like I usually do, I sent him another. At another thought, I sent Tanpopo a message to meet me and with that final message, my phone snapped shut as I changed my course to Kosame's home. Judging by how fast Reborn travels, I knew he would be there by the time that I arrived.

"I hope Kyoya is there." I frowned. I had a feeling that Kosame might try to push me to bring Kyoya now that I'm going to meet Icarus, but I knew that I couldn't with how violently Kyoya reacts to people like Icarus. In a way, he reminded me a bit of Mukuro. My frown deepened at the thought.

'I wonder what Mukuro wanted to discuss about that time?'

"Never mind, I should focus on preparing for Icarus."

* * *

The air was rather odd by the time we came to Icarus' hideout, the warehouse still looked the same from the time Tanpopo kidnapped me. Beside me, Tanpopo was rather tense as her eyes flickered between Icarus and I. Even though we already planned out what we were going to do with Kosame, Reborn, and Kyoya, she was still nervous about the plan. In fact, she tried to persuade me to not make a deal with him, but I didn't have any of that and told her that I would do it with or without her. Of course, I assured her that I was being arrogant before and I realized the limits of my current power and that I'll try not to over step it. She reluctantly agreed to come along at that, though having two masters of persuasion there also helped, and so here we are in Icarus' lair.

I sighed as I eyed the blonde girl. She was still still as hell. Lazily, I reached over and punched her shoulder. Startled, she stared at me with wide pink eyes, seemingly surprised as a blush faintly dusted her cheeks, before she got the message and relaxed. Icarus raised an eyebrow at the display, but he didn't comment on it and decided to give me an amused look.

_'I wonder if it was wise to get someone as jumpy as Tanpopo to be my backup.'_ My nostrils flared as a silent sigh passed through them. _'Whatever, she has proven herself capable enough at the point.'_

Ignoring how Tanpopo still fingered her tessens, I turned my gaze to Icarus while I kept my head high, not willing to show any form of weakness.

"Well, enough of this tension and let's get on with the show. What do I owe such lovely girls today?"

"A deal."

"A deal?" He hummed, albeit in confusion as he studied me before leaning forward. "I think I know where this is going, but what do I get out of it? You said yourself that you wouldn't be doing any missions from me anymore."

"And I'll keep to my word." I let a brief period of silence fall between us, only letting the sound of the Knights' medallion hitting the table break it with a thick _thud_. "In exchange for information on the Knights of the Red Lily, I'll stick around you so that you can observe me. Of course, observing me in the bathroom and other private places would be out of the question. I do like my privacy."

_'Ah, I can already hear Kosame getting upset at me for this. Sorry, but this is the only deal that I could make without too much collateral damage.'_

"How does that benefit me?" Icarus leaned back in his chair. His blond hair glistened in the artificial lights as he tilted his head in feigned boredom, causing Tanpopo to worriedly glance at me. I didn't bother to address her worry, I wasn't ready to give up on this deal.

"You find me interesting, right? If I willingly stay around you, then who knows what will happen. You seem to know what's going on around here, so adding a wild card could make things more interesting for you, correct? You love surprises and I like not dying by people who I don't even know, I'd say we both win with this deal; I get _all_ the information that I need and you get some entertainment. So, how about it?"

Icarus chuckled, making his shoulders bob before his laughter developed more force behind it, clearly surprising the girl next to me as I watched with a stony face. Neither Icarus nor I paid the blonde any mind when she pulled her tessen out of its holster, laying it in her lap for future use as the man calmed down. Once his eyes landed back on me, I could tell happiness still lingered in his green gaze, maybe even some excitement.

"You're getting to know me very well, Na-chan! And that's a very dangerous thing! For all I know, you could just be plotting to murder me when my back is turned!"

"But you'll still have fun even if I am. Isn't that what you wanted?"

He sniggered a couple more times, seemingly lost in his elated state while he spun around- a bit too enthusiastically if you asked me- and plopped back into his arm chair. His previous elegancy seemed to be gone as a childish excitement made his green eyes look more alive. Leaning back in his chair, he implored me to start asking him questions with the point of his glossy oxford shoes before his giddiness faded. I had no qualms with trying to get extra information to slip from the man during his current state, so I complied.

"First off, who are Knights and what do they want with me?"

"They are an organization of people just like you, trying to maintain order within this world by keeping it the same as how each of them saw it, guiding it toward a certain direction and ridding all deviants. Each person who awakens the mark is inducted into the organization and contributes their memory in order to 'protect' the world and its inhabitants. In fact, they've been watching you for quite some time now. Someone most likely had a memory and knew immediately that you were not included in it, so even if the necklace you picked up hadn't had a tracker in it," he slid the back off of the medallion and held up a chip to emphasize his point. "They would have known immediately where to find you."

My breath caught in my throat. Ignoring the fact that I've been watched the whole time, I was more concerned about that other fact that he mentioned.

"People like me?" My back tightened up at the thought. He couldn't mean reincarnates, could he? I have never given any thought to the idea that there could be others out there like me. Icarus merely hummed in acknowledgment as he held up the medallion and spun it around, watching the chain twist tightly before unraveling again and swinging the other way.

"Yes, people just like you. People who are not meant to be here as they've already at their chance at life. Why else do you think their symbol is a combination of the three-legged crow, yatagarasu, and a red spider lily?"

"They go through rebirth and are trying to be the symbol of guidance in this world," I recounted my knowledge of japanese mythology and the morbid red flower before grouching. "It's a bit of a stretch to be saying that I can see it within their symbol. It's tacky as hell idea."

Icarus threw his head back in a fit of laughter. "You think so? I thought it was quite clever."

"How do these member contribute their memories? It's a impossible to have someone remember every bit of detail of the past and then pass it on to possibly hundreds of people. Even if they did write it down and distribute their part, there's just too many to remember."

"You're a smart one for catching that, Na-chan. They contribute through the marks that appear on their body, just like the one that appeared on yours. It connects them together and gives them the ability to transfer memories when one touches another's mark, something I'm sure you've had first hand experience of. Mind's aren't able to process such a influx of memories, so it's a favored tactic of Knights to use it upon others reincarnates in order to get them to cooperate. That is, if they don't go insane."

I fell silent. The sudden factor that I could have gone insane from that attack left me more than nervous as I almost blanched at the fact that those were memories of some person out there. At Tanpopo's concerned gaze, I forced myself to regain my composure. This was not the time to find empathy for others.

"Then why did my seal appear at the moment? Why didn't it appear earlier or at my birth?"

"Seals only appear once the reincarnate manages to break the seal on their flames. Depending on whether or not the person is compatible with their new body's flames, a sort of seal is placed upon it. Some are never able to break the seal, so they mostly go under the radar. In some cases, trauma could induce change in a person's flames and it could turn into anything at that point, which is most likely your case. You might have noticed through your daze at the time that your flames were blue before they turned orange, correct? Well, that it the filter placed on your flames bursting all at once. It's like popping your flame virginity."

I grimaced at the imagery, scowling to tell him to knock it off, but not saying anything else as he continued.

"Seeing as no two cases are exactly the same, we'll have no idea what yours could be. It could mean that it goes with your family's sky flames or it could somehow become something new. It's honestly a wild card that has even been seen in the children of reincarnates. But enough about that, I'll be waiting anxiously to see what yours is, Na-chan." Icarus grinned wolfishly. I ignored his comment as Xanxus' face briefly flashed through my mind. Well, I guess that would explain his flames.

"Right, then one more thing-" I commented noncommittally before raising my hand so that Icarus to gaze upon the wicked glint of its blood red gemstone. "Why did you give me this ring? What's so important about it?"

His eyes locked onto the silver accessory, memories dully flashed behind his eyes before he smiled hollowly. He didn't seem to notice my expression as he continued to speak as if he was lost within the past.

"You could say that that ring has just as much importance as the sky rings within the tri-ni-set. An anomaly for an anomaly to use. An object that shouldn't exist for someone who forced themselves into a space that couldn't possibly hold anymore to begin with."

My eyebrows furrowed in confusion, all of this was getting more farfetched by the second. Like the tri-ni-set, just what was that? I was about to ask, but Icarus cut me off as his former self was returned and had left behind the sullen attitude.

"Ah, there's one more thing I forgot to mention." I watched in confusion as Icarus stood up and made his way toward me. I didn't think he would give up anymore information willingly without me prompting him to do so. Tanpopo was becoming more and more on edge, but I did nothing to stop him as I held fast to my confident facade. He stopped right before, giving me a closer look at the fine silver thread the laced between each thread on his red pinstriped button up. The black vest over it gave it a brighter look than necessary, but it only reminded me of how fitting the colors were for someone like Icarus, though I suppose gold would a more fitting color for "Gold Wings" Icarus.

Abandoning my previous thoughts, I watched as he leaned down in front of me. A playful smile painted on his lips, but a devious glint shone in his eyes and only made the smile that much more disconcerting.

"You know, when reincarnates unlock their seal and flames, they gain an single ability to help them in their new life."

"So," I raised my eyebrow warily, motioning imperceptibly to Tanpopo to not be too hasty. I didn't know what connection she had to Icarus, but I had a feeling that attacking would put a strain on it. "You're telling me that I have one of these powers, just like that Orris guy?"

_'Huh, maybe that's why he was so freakishly strong and fast for someone his size.'_

"Yes," he grinned eagerly. "And I have a feeling that I know just what that ability is."

I opened my mouth to ask him just what it was, but I didn't have to as everything blurred into a frenzy of movements. Tanpopo jumped out of her seat, throwing out her tessen as electricity sparked around her; her metal fans crackled as she threw them, trying to intercept Icarus' movements when I felt reality shift around us. Through my peripheral vision, I could see her eyes widen in shock when she realized that her tessen were lodged into the furthest wall's corner. Her head swiveled to the other side of the couch and a horrified expression stretched her face in a rather painful way.

"Nakuka!"

A startled gasp left me as I stared into my lap. Well, it would have been my lap if it wasn't for the hand that blocked my view, though the hand was of less concern than the knife that was sticking out of my abdomen. A scarlet bloom spread across my shirt as a cold sweat dripped down the side of my cheek; I grinned in pain as I pushed a hand against it, watching as blood gushed between my fingers and warmed them in a disturbingly hot way. Tanpopo quickly came over at the sight, frantically pushing her hands on top of mine in order to stem the blood flow and seemingly not bothered by the red that coated her own hands and sleeves. But even as the blood dripped from my fingers and onto my legs, I could only think sardonically to myself.

_'I should have worn a different shirt today.'_

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

**You guys, seriously. My heart cannot take anymore talk about who Nakuka should be shipped with. XD At this rate, she's gonna end up with the craziest of characters because of a little humor/misunderstanding scene I've written between them. Don't get me wrong, I love it, but ya'll are killing me. :') At this rate, I should just pair her up with her gun and troll you guys.**

**Singular Poisonous Ashes: I'm glad you like the character interactions. I have to say they are one of my favorite to write/read, though it is inevitable that people would view close friendships as romance (not that I mind). And not going to lie, your comment made me laugh. You're the first person pair Nakuka up with no one because she's "badass". And true dat. I fucking love shonen mangas for that aspect. One Piece was one of the ones that got me hooked on relationships and nakamaships (sadly, I don't watch it anymore). Anyway, thanks for reviewing!**

**Viviene001: It sure does! And can do, reviews make me super fired up, so thanks for doing that!**

**ddmahan922: ddmahan, no~ You're making me scream internally with all this ship fest between Nakuka and the craziest characters in KHR (srs, bro. Mukuro has had like two scenes with her within this story). XD It's funny, though. Your comment was the exact opposite of "Singular Poisonous Ashes". Looks like you two have to fight it out now! Thanks for reviewing, by the way. It really made me happy to see that you did! :)**

**CheekySaku: I tried to send you a PM, but it seems that you set it so that you can't receive them. I would like to know what you're confused about specifically (but if you mean in general, then I can see where you're coming from).**

**Daikuro: Don't worry about that. Nakuka will definitely not become an underling to Tsuna. They're becoming closer as siblings and he'll display some protectiveness (she is his little sister, after all), but I would sooner delete this story than let her become that character that plays second fiddle in their own story. Ooh~ I really like how you described that. That's pretty true. If she ever does get paired with someone, then it would be with someone who could keep up; and you're also right on that, Nakuka isn't as much of a pacifist as Tsuna and realizes that violence is sometimes needed. And thank you so much for reviewing. Your perspective has helped a little in knowing how I want to proceed and what I should do (sadly enough, not many people comment on that type of thing). And don't worry, I do love a good puzzle. I'll figure it out. ;)**

**Guest: Thanks for reading my story and commenting! And general, she's just trying to be more honest and nice to people, but she's still a bit awkward about it. *sigh* She's one socially awkward penguin when it comes to that. *shakes head***

**Corntroversy: Hey, thanks for reading my story! It makes me really happy that you could see the character development in Nakuka and enjoy the story so much. :) It truly did make me happy. And I laughed at how much you liked Tanpopo, I didn't think that someone would like her so much since she doesn't have much screen time. Truthfully, someone I know said they really liked her and I couldn't get why, I guess someone can join the club. And you know, that pairing is always a possibility, I have no problem with girl pairings. In fact, I'm considering having epilogues at the end of the story and having different ones for each person she ends up with (just so everyone can be happy with a pairing and choose which one they wanted to view as the end pairing, or just not choose a pairing and have her be alone). Romance isn't really the focus of the story, so we'll just have to see where it goes. ;)**

**EVA-Saiyajin: Sorry you feel that way. Thanks for reading, anyway.**

**Anyway, thanks to all of you who reviewed! I hope to see more in the future!**


	20. To the Future

**Author's Notes:**

**Followers: Basilisk Heart, kksambo, CalliopeNera, Yamiroo Alice, KirikaAndo, Audalis, Oluhassu, Lord Inquisitor B Joseph H, SS-lover06, Father 2.0, BlackCoat13, TheMimeThatTalks, Daenes, lexandrine. gb, Callaas, LuNaxXxSoLe, SubOmegaZero, YomuHime, MidnightJynx1813, Indigo Mist, StepOnLego14, WisdomWriter25, Jinxed just in Time, 14thEternityNightMare, WackyJ, skullsarecool, Yuka Kazuki, Tyoro Dwin'tlithar, SeirenTheReader, ARavensShadow, linnangel, Kea2121312, Eic, ****Innieminnie, Arch Fear, ****Chiasmus, Kanra-sanXD, lucifuge 101, ****Izuminka1992, loonygoody, fightingforme, JBebe, ****MNZ612, AzurNova, gincitri, Claed, Xandra-A, babasosis, Dragongirl16, ivyslade, cfore, Shinoki, firefly-studs, angelxofxmine, daecl, Juoan, bleachfan462, flitin2shadow, Shadow Ryuurider, Scarla Roza, shadowinRW, SAKIHUPASA15, Night-Blooming Cereus, Layla Riddle, Kami-sama13, DragoEclipse, Ywerse, lune-de-bleu, Vel Vitrum, zier1, Rasda, Aki no Joo, Riririn, AoDai1925, RyuuenXKai, axolotlxoxo**

**Favorites: Basilisk Heart, kksambo, yukaraii, heart44hayatolover, XxTealJadexX, KirikaAndo, Lorde127, BreeTannerHuang, Lord Inquisitor B Joesph H, TheMimeThatTalks, Boo4ME, Rose1414, SennoTsubasa, SubOmegaZero, Scarla Roza, YomuHime, abetest, PenelopetheKangaroo, 14thEternityNightMare, Kurai aka, EXOtic7889, lolpanda369, Kitara Kujin, Raynare, Nordens, Kea2121312, Eic, ****Innieminnie, ****Forgottenpast22, Cherrystarlight, ****cywsaphyre, ****MNZ612, AzurNova, Ally1012, Kappa Taichou, Xandra-A, Miaomii, Dragongirl16, 97chaoscat, ivyslade, firefly-studs, angelxofxmine, Yandere Yuno-chan, Shadow Ryuurider, NPanda, SAKIHUPASA15, avert 1523, Alice Nick Odair, TheLazyCouchPotato, The Holy Pineapple, Layla Riddle, miezi10, Kami-sama13, Kara-24, DragoEclipse, lizzielucky, BlackMoonNight, RyuuenXKai, axolotlxoxo**

**Updated: 11 February**** 2016**

**Sorry for the_ super_ long unannounced hiatus. I've just been really busy and a lot of things just needed to be sorted out (don't worry, none of it's bad).**

**Oh man, I just realized that it's been more than a year since I've started this story. Time sure passes by, doesn't it? Thanks for sticking with me this long! This was my first real story, so it's really appreciated!**

* * *

"Just as I thought." Icarus smiled as he removed the knife from my stomach. A spurt of blood gushed out at the removal, making me scowl at the man even as he cleaned the crimson off of the blade with a cotton handkerchief.

"Are you done yet? That fucking hurt, you know?" I grumbled. "Now I'm bleeding and my shirt's ruined."

The was the understatement of the century. The couch I was sitting on had turned a rather nasty shade of dark red with the outer edges as a disgusting brown. I forced myself to stay still as to not agitate the wound and cause me to throw up; my head was spinning from the blood loss, I didn't think I could move too well if I was forced to. Despite my state and sporadic vision, I could tell Tanpopo's brows were furrowed as she continued to press her hands against the wound.

"Can't you do something, Zio? She's losing a lot of blood."

I watched with hazy eyes as her finger twitched and spasmed every once in a while, her nervousness increased when Icarus adopted a considering expression.

"I suppose I could. I wouldn't want my favorite subject to die from blood loss just as she promised to stick around." He nodded in resolutely before approaching me. I let him. "Na-chan deserves it, after all. First you come to me for a deal and then you let me stab you! You're just full of surprises!"

"You let him stab you?!" Tanpopo's voice carried a strong tone of accusation, but I pointedly waved it off as I watched Icarus nip his hand and place it to my wound. Despite Tanpopo's seemingly disgruntled attitude towards me, I could tell she was also focused on Icarus with an attitude that practically screamed _I have no idea what's going on._

A warm, and disturbingly tingly, sensation made my wound feel like it was shifting and I watched in stunned fascination as the cleanly cut skin started to weave together like fabric. One centimeter after the other, the skin sealed together seamlessly until there was nothing left. Even as he withdrew, I concentrated on the spot where the injury should have been, but only felt soft, bare skin under the layer of slick blood.

"How did you-"

"Now now, let's let mysteries stay as mysteries, yes?" Icarus winked as he took up the bloody handkerchief he had tossed aside earlier and proceeded to wipe his hands before handing it to Tanpopo. The girl winced in disgust, but took the rag to the trash where she let it drop into a crumpled heap.

"I thought you were a mist user." I stated challengingly.

"I am."

Staring at him analytically, I conceded and dropped the topic. It would be easier to find the information out second hand than trying to get it from the weapons dealer. I shrugged off the weirdness of the situation and stood up, stretching just to test out my healed wound and found with satisfaction that it did not hurt.

"Okay then, how about you tell me why you just shoved a knife in me?" I pulled my shirt from my body and felt, with minor disgust, as dried blood pulled at my skin before crumbling. I had a feeling I wouldn't be wearing this shirt any time soon.

"I was testing out a theory of mine and it turns out that I was right."

"When are you not?"

He ignored my jab and tapped a finger on the seal on my forehead. A smile stretching his lips as he said, "As I said before, I found out your ability, dear Na-chan."

Scowling, I rubbed my forehead and replaced the cap that he disrupted. Gesturing silently, I urged him to continue as I swallowed a pill Hamu made for me.

"Think about it, you were able to survive being thrown around by that Orris fellow. His strength was obviously enough to break solid tree trunks, so how do you think you're able to survive that? It's because you have a gift that helped you endure the beating. Endurance, durability, vitality, whatever you want to call it, it helped you to protect your organs and bones so that you wouldn't die. In fact, if it wasn't for that fact alone, my knife would have punctured your liver and would have mortally wounded you. It's actually amazing, I could feel your skin harden around the blade so that it couldn't go in any further. How exciting is that?!"

"I won't deny that it is interesting, but I'll get to that bridge when I get to it. Now that that's out of the way, I've gotta get home. Mom promised she would buy me green tea gelato and I don't intend to miss out on that." Without looking back, I waved the blonds goodbye. "Thanks for ruining my shirt, asshat."

"Don't forget to come visit soon, Na-chan~"

I glanced back in annoyance. "What are you, my mother? Fuck off."

Continuing forward, it wasn't long until a second step of footsteps echoed behind me and fell into a rhythmic pattern next to mine. Even as I dialed Kosame up and told her about the deal with Icarus, the person behind me stayed quiet. Some five or ten minutes pass and after Kosame was done chewing me out, I hung up the call with a sigh and turned the corner to head home. I debated whether to let the silence settle between us or not, but I ultimately came to the conclusion that she deserved a little bit of attention after today.

"How do you know Icarus?"

Tanpopo was silent, choosing to let us walk in silence. "It's a long story..."

"Gelato can wait."

She hesitated. Her hands absentmindedly flickered to her tessens, the same ones that she wrenched from the walls earlier, and flicked them open and closed repetitively.

"...He saved me..."

...

_"Mr. Bisognin, what a lovely mansion you have!" There was laughter and clings of glasses as the congregation of varying voices mixed to cast a dizzying effect. A particular man with slicked back and greying hair grinned widely at the other man who approached him. Out of customarily unspoken rules, he toasted his glass with the man and spoke with bravado._

_"I thank you, signor. I'm quite content with how the mansion turned out. Those builders truly did wonders with remodeling, the crystal chandeliers truly do accent my little canary's perch."_

_The unnamed man agreed with Bisognin, nodding his head as he eyed the large, gilded cage in the middle of the ballroom floor. The insides were unable to be seen as vivid red lengths of velvet curtained it off. The curtains fluttered briefly as if it had been held open before it was dropped shut, this caused the man to turn back to Bisognin to ask the question that everyone in the room was thinking._

_"So, when will we hear your famed canary?" He smiled and thanked a servant for refilling his wine. "It's fabled that she has the voice of a siren, is that true?"_

_"Better," Bisognin answered with satisfaction. His diamond encrusted watch sparkled under the lights as he checked the time and motioned toward a staff member on standby. "In fact, the show is about to start."_

_Just as he said, the show started, the lights dimmed, and the curtains were drawn back to reveal a pretty blonde girl with eyes that spoke of misery. She sat on the marble perch in elaborate layers of Victorian-esque petticoats and her hair was done up with expertise, yet her appearance paled to the melodious sound of her voice. Even without a microphone, her voice could be heard in all corners of the room and the partygoers stopped in a trance, unable to ignore the singing. Despite the fact that a certain undertone of sorrow laced her song, Bisognin glowed smugly as he continued to reject that constant offers of paying the girl off of his hands._

_"I'm sorry, dear sirs and madams, but my canary is one of a kind and I wouldn't be able to part with such a rare specimen. My canary has the most trance-inducing voice that could beat any siren hands down, but thank you for your offers."_

_Soon, the song came to an end and the curtains were drawn once more, effectively trapping the young girl in the dim interior of the cage. Having no where to go, she sat defectively on the white marble. Her smooth hands were devoid of any calluses as she had avoided being put to work as a maid within the mansion, but she had long ago reconsidered her luck when she was isolated and treasured like an item to collect. At least the servants are able to socialize with each other._

_"Hello, dear. How are you today?"_

_The girl's raspberry colored eyes snapped up in shock where her sight was met with an impeccably dressed man. Just like the other men in the ballroom, his flaxen hair was slicked back and his cuffs were successfully paired with some cuff links. Her mouth gaped open before she finally remembered to speak to the man. God, how long has it been since she had simply just spoken?_

_"W-Who are you?"_

_"Who am I, indeed." The man grinned slyly as he slipped into an exaggerated bow. "Icarus at your service, Ms. Canary."_

_The blonde grimaced at the way he addressed her, something Icarus did not miss judging by his expression. Either way, the man unnerved her and having him in her cage without anyone's knowledge made her nervous, it wouldn't be the first time someone tried to take advantage of her when Bisognin's back was turned. The two guys at the bottom of the ocean could attest to that; well, they couldn't, but she was making a point. It was then that she made up her mind to just scream if he tried anything. The room was made to amplify acoustics, after all._

_"Would you call me by a different name? I feel uncomfortable being addressed that way."_

_"Certainly, what would milady's name be?"_

_She paused. What was her name again? She's been responding to "canary" for so long that she could no longer remember her birth name. All she knew was that it meant something nice, but she couldn't for the life of her remember._

_"You don't remember?" At the shake of her head, Icarus nodded all too brightly. "That is acceptable. I will just have to give you a new one. How does 'Dolce' sound to you? Just like your voice and the candy-like color of your eyes, it's sweet."_

_"That was a poorly done joke, Mister Icarus. Can you even count it as one?" She asked shyly as she tested the name out in her head. "But I suppose that isn't too bad of a name, though I'm afraid that is one that I won't be using too often."_

_"Because of your captivity."_

_Dolce nodded solemnly as she stared pointedly at her bare feet. At Icarus' next suggestion, her heart beat with excited disbelief._

_"Then how about I take those bindings off and let you escape your prison with unrestricted wings."_

_Dolce ignored the accidental reference to the mythological story from which Icarus' namesake came from and hopped off her seat._

_"You can do that for me? How?"_

_"Easy," he produced a golden key and stuck it into the lock before he slid the door open. "After you, Miss Dolce."_

_Terror gripped her heart and even though Icarus held the curtains open, none of the party-goers had glanced at them. Tentatively, she stepped out with abated breath, only to release it in confusion when everyone ignored the duo._

_"Glorious, isn't it? No one can see or hear us, a product of my illusions. Well, shall we head to our destination? It will turn into pure chaos when Signor Bisognin finds out you are gone and his closest subordinate stabs him in the back."_

_"How do you know this?" Dolce sent him a wary glance. She might have been reprieved of basic communication, but she still was privy to gossip and she had not heard of any ill will toward the vile man. In fact, Signor Castello was a rather devout subordinate. She was only rewarded with a mysterious smile as they arrived at the entrance. Despite freedom being right behind those extravagant doors, Dolce couldn't help but look back at her captor in an unsure way._

_"Hm, what is it? Do you perhaps want to get revenge?"_

_"Not revenge," she corrected. "I want justice. I want him to see the errors of his ways and learn from his mistakes."_

_Icarus clicked his tongue in distaste, causing her to spin around in shock, all of his gentlemanly airs seemingly evaporated in just a second. "You're one of those vigilantly characters, huh? Well, I can't promise he'll see his errors, but there will be justice."_

_The snap of his fingers echoed deafeningly in her ears, it made her briefly wonder how no one could hear it even with illusions, and she watched as one of Bisognin's second in command produce a butter knife and plunged it into the older man's shoulder. Chaos immediately erupted as the second in command blinked in confusion and looked at the knife, then his boss, and then the crowd before ultimately trying to help the man, only to be shot down by the other guards._

_Dolce cringed at the sight and wanted nothing more than the violence to stop, but she didn't have much time to think about it as Icarus grabbed her hand and distracted her from the carnage. Even through the violence, his visage was appealing and inviting, resembling what she thought a father would look like as she could not remember her own. So she let him guide her away from the mess and then out the ornate door where the night sky greeted her._

_She found it beautiful even if light pollution did blot out the stars. And so, Dolce climbed into the black car parked outside before speeding away. Briefly, for a second, she wondered if Icarus was the right person to go with, but she scraped the idea and spoke the words she hadn't said in a long time._

_"Thank you."_

_..._

Tanpopo was rather silent after she finished her story. We had long ago arrived at my house, but we lingered by the gates and at some time during the story, I had rested my hand on top of the metal as if to push it open, but never did. Her eyes were casted to the side, seemingly in thought, but I was in no hurry to bring her out of her trance.

"I care for him, you know? He saved me from being a trophy and has kept me safe. Even if he did bring me into a life of danger and deceit, even if he finds enjoyment in... meddling... in the lives of others, I can't find it in myself to care for him any less." She breathed and glanced inside the house when she heard the cries of excited children. When no one came outside, she relaxed and shoved the tessen back into place and out of sight.

"He's much nicer than I thought," I conceded. "I don't understand him and everyone's lives would probably be easier if he was dead, but I can't say that he's the worst person in the world."

"Yes, I suppose that's true." Tanpopo glanced into the sky and I did as well, mentally noting how the stars shone through even with all the lights on in Namimori. "You know, I haven't been able to shed the name 'Tanpopo' since I came here. I've grown too attached to it. Though, I suppose that Icarus calling me Dolce feels like some sort of connection that keeps us close. I don't know. I'm probably being too sentimental right now."

She scratched her cheek in embarrassment. I made no move to call her out on it since I was admittedly feeling docile at the moment. My eyes closed in brief wonderment as I tried to figure out when exactly we had stopped being insulting towards each other.

"Well, it doesn't matter now. I don't care for the past, what's done is done and there's nothing we can do to change it. The future is too uncertain to worry about, so there's no point in worrying in where you came from or where you're going, so let's just leave it at that."

Tanpopo blinked in surprise before a grin stretched her lips, boisterous laughter escaping her as I stood in surprise. What the heck? This girl is laughing at me? Even after I said something so embarrassingly sentimental? Soon enough, my eyebrow twitched and I scowled in disbelief at the girl. The nerve of this girl! I should kick her ass!

"What the fuck? Only time I'm trying to be helpful here and you laugh at me. Fuck you, see if I care. Last time I help you," I grumbled.

The laughter dwindled down just a bit and just as I got to my door, I heard a soft voice call out to me.

"Thank you."

Huffing, I opened the door. "Don't laugh at me next time."

There was a soft chuckle.

"I'll keep that in mind."

Without another glance, I shut the door and made my way to Tsunayoshi's room, suddenly feeling the need to be in another's company.

_'Maybe Reborn can restore me to my full, glorious asshole-ness. I'm getting too emotional these days.'_

_~(*ﾟﾛﾟ)~_

"I can't believe you waited this long to try and find Reborn."

"I thought he would have shown up by now! Lambo's bazooka should have only lasted ten minutes!" Tsun worriedly checked the streets for any sign of the baby hitman. After Nakuka had returned the night before, he had explained to her that Reborn was sent to the future and that he would be back later, so she went to sleep afterwards. It wasn't until the next day that Tsuna came downstairs with an anxious air around him that he told her what had exactly occurred the day before while she was out seeing Icarus.

"Yeah, but didn't you think that it was strange that his future self didn't appear?" Nakuka skidded to a stop and turned to her older brother, frowning pointedly at him. "That could only mean-"

"We should just find him." Tsuna cut her off as he diverted his gaze to the streets ahead.

"Tsunayoshi, you can't just ignore the possibility that he's dead in the future. You must have realized it yourself when no one came out of that smoke."

A grave expression twisted Tsuna's face, making Nakuka lighten up on her critical lecture. The silence from Tsuna was rather sobering and it only made Nakuka sigh in exasperation as she realized just how much the baby meant to Tsuna. Adjusting her hat, Nakuka stepped forward and forced herself to put a comforting hand to his shoulder.

"We'll find him, the future isn't a concrete, so I'm sure we'll figure something out. I'm not exactly too keen on letting the fucker die just yet."

Suddenly, a pair of familiar voices brought them out of their moment and Nakuka let her hand from Tsunayoshi's shoulder. Chatting in rather unusual camaraderie, sounding like they were making conversation over a certain Sawada male. When they noticed the pair, they immediately rushed to stand before them, talking in a rather excited jumble of words. Even as they greeted Nakuka and Tsunayoshi and Haru invited them to the new underground shopping district, Tsunayoshi distractedly explained Reborn's disappearance.

"Come to think of it, what's the 10-year bazooka?" Haru blinked in confusion at Tsuna's slip up, but the secretive glance between the two boys and Nakuka's nod toward her clued her into the nature of the bazooka. More seriously than she should have, she dropped the question and let Gokudera steal the attention away from her.

"So Tenth, Reborn-san was hit by the ten year bazooka and no one appeared in his place?"

"Yes, that would be right. We're still searching for him."

Gokudera paled and grimly pulled his lips back. "If he hasn't come back from ten years later, then that means... That means Reborn-san doesn't exist in the future."

As if his statement was a sealing factor, Tsuna looked down, but he wasn't allowed to wallow in his thoughts just yet as Gokudera purposefully put on a calm, hopeful appearance.

"Anyway, let's find Reborn-san first! I'll look at school!"

"Haru will go to Yamamoto-kun's house!"

"O-Okay, I'll check the park!" Tsuna stuttered in surprise, but went along with it. Nakuka had a similar reaction, but took it more calmly as she informed Tsuna that she would check the second park along with Kosame's home and promptly split paths with him.

~(,,꒪꒫꒪,,)~

Needles to say, Kosame's house turned up negative. The older woman said she would keep an eye out for the hitman and even Hibari was willing to comply, sending an alert to his subordinates to send him a message if they spotted the baby. Nakuka couldn't quite figure out if it was for her sake, Kosame's, or simply because he deemed Reborn a worthy opponent, but she didn't dwell on it and promptly dragged Hibari along to check the park with her. Of course, he only went because Kosame forced him to, but she still managed to make him tag along, so she considered it a win.

There was grumbling along the way, but finally Nakuka and Hibari arrived at the park and looked around for any sign of Reborn. As expected, nobody matched the description and they were about to leave, only to see another boy absentmindedly sitting on the swings.

"Hey, you!"

The boy's hooded head popped up, seemingly startled by her shout and before they could stop him, he grabbed his backpack off the ground and sprinted off.

"Motherfucker, I just wanted to talk." Nakuka gruffly cursed under her breath as she signaled to Hibari the chase wasn't worth it. "Well, this is going great. How about your little regime? Did they find anything?"

A tonfa was "lightly" hit against her arm as Hibari checked his phone for any messages and then pointedly snapping it shut when he saw none. Nakuka sighed. They were making no progress at all and judging by the lack of contact from the others (Tsuna made it a point that they all gave their numbers to her), they were having just as much luck as them.

"All right, I guess there's nothing we can do here. I'm going to go check back at home. Meet up at Kosame's in about thirty minutes?"

"Hn. Be punctual."

"Aye aye, dictator Kyoya." She ran off and dodged Hibari's prized tonfa. She was just glad that they had more important matters that he decided she wasn't worth the time and went to take care of his own business. Taking alleys and shortcuts, Nakuka made haste to her house, knowing that Tsuna would have gone there at some time. She was hoping that she would happen upon him, but she settled for the next best thing when she saw Gokudera just arriving at her house.

"Gokudera, did you find anything?!" The silveret stopped short at her voice and started to shout out his answer, but a purple bazooka suddenly flew out the window and landed on the teen. Nakuka skidded to a stop and watched in shock as the pink smoke enveloped the teen, but that wasn't her best move since the bazooka suddenly flew out of the cloud, a fluffy tail of pink trailing after it, and loomed above her. Cursing her luck, Nakuka braced herself for the impact.

...

One thing I didn't expect during our search for Reborn was to be sent ten years into the future. The second thing would be that I was stuck in some type of dark, enclosed space that felt wooden to the touch. The slab above me was wooden as well, but it felt different as it wasn't just the grainy texture of wood that my fingertips brushed over. There were also shallow grooves etched within the wood, but that was the least of my concerns as I pushed against it and watched with squinted eyes as it gave way to muted rays of light. Breathing in the fresh air, I looked around only to see that I was seemingly in the middle of nowhere in a plain, boxy coffin. Gripping the edges of the box, I sat up only to catch a whiff of where I had previously been laying; my nose crinkled and I stepped out of it, preferring not to smell the cheap satin that reeked of body odor.

I sighed a sigh of exasperation and continued to look around, finally coming upon the coffin's lid once more and noticing just what the grooves were.

"Scratch marks? From nails, no less... Just why was my future self scratching at a lid she could have easily removed?"

I contemplated the possibility that I had somehow became stupid, but withdrew it at how unpleasant the thought was. A small rustle of leaves caught my attention and my intuition kicked in, alerting me to another presence.

"I think I can answer that." A man with pitch black hair suddenly stepped out from among the trees, a flicker of surprise casted onto his face before looking rather solemn as he approached me. I warily regarded him, not sure of what to make of the man as he continued to smile tiredly.

"Nice to see you again, younger Nakuka. I forgot how young you looked ten years ago."

"Yeah, well I'm only 13. Who are you?"

He blinked, seemingly unable to comprehend the question before he pressed a hand to his face in groan, effectively covering his brown eyes.

"I see, you must not have formally acquaintance yourself with me yet. You have met me before, but I doubt I was too note worthy."

"I've met you?"

He nodded. "Sleepy time in a bottle? You know?"

At my blank stare, he scraped the idea of trying to make me remember and motioned for me to follow him. He must have really known me well, because before I could ask why I should follow him, he flashed a little badge (didn't know they made them) with the Vongola symbol on it. I briefly read his name before he slipped it back into his suit jacket and briskly walked through the tress with a rather anxious call for me to hurry.

"Your name is Salvador Kakutani?"

"Huh? Ah, yes," he started off absentmindedly. "I suppose you read that from my ID. Sorry, I should have introduced myself." I had half a mind to snap my fingers at the man, he seemed way too distracted for some odd reason. "That reminds me, do you happen to have any rings on you?"

Blinking in confusion, I flashed him the silver ring located on my left hand, only to be tossed a thin chain.

"Wrap it quickly. We have to keep going. I'll explain what's going on once we reach the safe house and meet up with Mateo."

"Mateo?"

"L-Later..."

Stumbling with the chain at first, I quickly laced it around the ring before I was forced to hurry after the man. Branches and roots threatening to trip me along the way, I tried to keep up with Salvador's long strides. All the while, Salvador's light eyes were scanning the surroundings, only breaking from their diligent vigilance to check up on me every once in a while. As we continued, a pressing feeling in my gut had me looking through the treetops.

"Something's coming. Ah!"

A set of arms suddenly encircled my waist, pulling me back and then crushing me into the nook of a tree. Salvador joined me, also pressing himself against the tree, and watched the tree tops above us. The leaves above rustled, but nothing came bursting out and it seemed like nothing was wrong with the world as a breeze gently mussed our hair up. Regardless, we stayed silent which happened to be a good move since not too long after, a man wearing a pair of flame expelling boots flew through the trees with a weapon in hand. His head swiveled back and forth, making the two of us involuntarily press ourselves further into the bark.

After a moment, the yellow flames flared under his boots and propelled him into the sky, only leaving the brief sound of disturbed leaves behind. Even when the danger was gone, our bodies were still in anticipation before the black haired man relaxed and stopped crushing me with his arm.

"Geez, Sal." I brushed the dirt off my clothes. "Warn me next time you want to cuddle in the dirt."

"...You called me Sal."

Blinking, I furrowed my brows to convey my confusion. "Yeah, what about it?"

"Nothing, it's just that your future self didn't usually give people nicknames."

"Looks like I hadn't changed much in the past ten years." I said blandly as I attempted to pick out a particularly stubborn piece of bark from my shirt.

Sal stopped and bent down to pull a hatch open, but the grimace on his face made me pause. As we entered the dark tunnel, I waited for him as he closed the hatch and flipped on a switch so that a line of fluorescent lights illuminated the hallway. Melancholy seemed to weigh on his countenance, but he forced it away in an attempt to get me to not notice the slip up. Sal wordlessly walked ahead and I followed with the intent of not letting him escape my questioning.

"Sal, what ha-"

"Sal!"

A sigh passed my lips, I was never going to be able to ask my questions, will I? Unaware of my annoyance, Salvador turned to meet the golden eyed man and waited for the suited man to catch his breath. His hands were on his knees before one of them fumbled with his pockets. Finally, an inhaler was fished out and a quiet hiss filled the corridor. Sal watched with worried eyes before he decided speaking up, deciding that the man was ready to speak now.

"Are you alright, Mateo?"

"Y-Yeah, the air and dust in here just made it hard to breathe, that's all. But never mind me, where is she? You found her, didn't you?"

"Y-Yes, I f-found her." Sal nervously glanced at me over his shoulder. "But I didn't exactly _find_ her, per se."

Mateo blinked in confusion. "...What do you mean?"

"Why don't you see for yourself."

Sal stepped to the side, letting the golden eyed man see me for the first time since he arrived. His eyes widened in shock before a flicker of some type of emotion passed behind his eyes, enough to make him seem to be in pain for a second.

"Nakuka..." He trailed off in uncertainty as his hand raised from against his side, almost like he was going to reach out for me but couldn't. Instead they formed shaky fists.

"Sal, what is this?"

"H-How should I know?" A hand snaked into his tresses as he sighed. "She should have di-disappeared b-by now. It's been m-more than five minutes."

"Calm down, Sal, you're stuttering again."

"Wi-Wish I could, b-but I say that the situation calls f-for a little st-stress."

"Why? What's going on?" I narrowed my eyes and gestured to Mateo when Sal refused to meet my eyes. "You told me that you would tell me when we met up with him."

An uncomfortable silence took hold of the situation and suddenly I was aware of how cold it was in the tunnel. Cursing my luck in wearing shorts, in my defense, it is warm outside and so my clothes are appropriate for the weather, I tried not to let the two men know that I was cold and stared them down.

"Now, let's start at why I was in a coffin. Obviously something happened if I'm assumedly dead in the future."

"Is that okay to tell you anything about the future? It could mess with the outcome of the future if you happened to do something different from our future Nakuka."

"That's true." I thought for a moment. Icarus did tell me about the Knights and I guess butterfly effects are still a thing, but I don't see how they could possibly know that I messed something up from the future? Making the most educated guess I could, I lifted my head and addressed the two men.

"How much do you like this future? If you think telling me would mess it up, then don't, but if everything has already gone to hell, then you might as well tell me now."

They glanced at each other before Sal motioned toward Mateo, causing him to sigh.

"As you can see, we have advanced in technology quite a bit, but it doesn't really matter since the Vongola and everyone associated are being hunted down by the Millefiore Famiglia. Multiple cities have been destroyed and basically everything is going to shit." Mateo miserably ran a hand down his face, accentuating how tired he looked. It made me wonder just how much sleep he had gotten lately.

"What is my brother doing about this?"

Silence once again took held of us, but it felt different than last time. A shiver shuttered down my spine and anger made the pit of my stomach heat up.

"What happened?" I growled out in confusion. Why was I so angry? There was nothing to be angry about, was there? This wasn't like me.

"I'm sorry." Mateo eyed me warily, clearly sensing my growing anger. "The Tenth was killed by another famiglia. A shot to the head isn't the worst way to go."

Sal slapped the boy's arm in warning. His expression practically screamed his disbelief that Mateo would be so graphic about Tsuna's death, but I didn't care.

The information came crashing down on me and the sudden anger was understandable, I knew that something like this had happened, but I just didn't want to acknowledge the possibility. So, I glared up at Mateo challengingly, which made him bristle slightly.

"Bullshit. He isn't stupid enough to be killed like that."

"It's the truth." Mateo frowned, but he didn't continue what he was about to say as I calmed myself down. There was no time to get angry, even if that anger was a rare display these days.

"Right," I pushed past the two males and entered through the only open door in the hallway. It was odd when the metal hallways turned into wood panels and rice paper sliding doors. Warily, I glanced around and regarded the change in scenery. For some reason it didn't seem like I was underground anymore.

"Hey, wait! Don't just walk in like that!" Despite the warning, it wasn't enough to save me from being pushed to the floor with cold metal held against my throat. After a momentary delay of trying to catch up with what was happening, my eyes widened at the person holding me down. My eyes flickered to the flat line of their mouth, the corners of it being held tautly back. Their mouth finally opened, filling me with cold realization as they spoke with a steeliness that spoke of just how far the future had gone to shit.

"What are you doing here?"

* * *

Haru was confused that much she knew. Along with Gokudera, Tsuna, and Nakuka, she had been searching for Reborn with no small sense of urgency and then her vision was suddenly replaced with suffocating clouds of pink that had dumped her on another street in Namimori. Honestly, she didn't know what was going on, but she decided she had to keep pushing onward or she would never find the answer. Meanwhile, her thoughts were preoccupied by the short exchange between her and the others before they had split up. Tsuna had briefly mentioned the ten year bazooka, but she didn't know exactly what the ten year bazooka did (but she could take a wild guess). All she really hoped for was for the the tiny hitman to be alright. After Nakuka had dispelled the secret about the mafia to her, Kyoko, and Hana, she couldn't help but notice tiny incidents that she would have written off before. The guns little Reborn pulled out were no longer cute and the grenades Lambo tossed around practically made her heart stop in worry. Though she wanted to say something, anything to stop them from doing anything dangerous, she couldn't betray Nakuka's expectations to keep her knowledge a secret.

"Hahi," she sighed. "What is Haru to do?" She dazedly looked around her with a sense of discomfort as she couldn't help but feel something was off about the town. It wasn't just the missing jewelry store or the mailbox, it was the atmosphere of the town in general. It felt repressed and dreary, like an after effect of a tragedy. Absentmindedly, the girl wrapped her arms around herself while muttering possible places Reborn could be.

"It's really scary here." She chewed on her lip in worry. "Haru never knew Namimori could be so scary. Hahi!"

She squealed softly as a tall figures walked out of the alleyway and scared the daylights out of her. Her dainty hand pressed against her chest to calm its rapid speed; about to shout at the man, she thought better of it as she clamped a hand down onto her mouth and backed away from the white suited man. The air around him was too scary... deadly. It honestly scared Haru and made her want to cry, but she felt determined enough not to let a peep out. She could cry when she wasn't in any immediate danger.

"Hahi!" A startled cry escaped her as she shook, looking at the smoldering concrete in front of where she was sprawled on the ground. Haru never thought she could be any more scared than she already was, but she was proven wrong once she stole a glance at the man's ashen face, devoid of emotion. He felt no sympathy for scaring her or for how close he had been to killing her. Fear gripped her for a second before she shook herself out of it, screaming.

"No!"

Haru scrambled onto her feet and took off bounding to who knows where. She didn't care at all as to where she heading, all she wanted was to be away from that man with the smoking gun and to curl up in the arms of someone who cares.

_'Tsuna-kun! Please, save me!'_

Vaulting over a fence, a terrified yelp escaped her dry mouth as the man was waiting there for her. Without a second thought, she took off running to gain enough momentum to vault herself over another high stone wall. She supposed this was how it felt to be prey desperately trying to escape their predator, but only for it to slowly realize how futile it was; it honestly made her think of those poor bunnies that she used to chase around in her yard when she was younger, though she knew in her heart that she wouldn't be as successful as the rabbits were against her toddler-self.

Letting out a sob, Haru stared at the stone wall that hadn't been in the Namimori she knew. Everything seemed foreign to her, even the tears that riddled her eyes and fell from her lashes. Slowly turning around to look at the man in the odd boiler suit-looking outfit, she squeaked as he slowly came upon her. To make matters even worse, Haru's legs weakened under her, causing hot shame to color her cheeks.

"Please~ Don't..." She whimpered pathetically, unable to rip her eyes away from her impending doom.

The man's arm swung forward and it quickly registered in her mind that it was the barrel of a gun she was looking at.

"It won't hurt... much."

Her heart hammered in her chest as she watched him start to squeeze the trigger before letting out a frightened cry, shutting her eyes, and then letting her leg kick out.

**_Bang!_**

_'...H-Haru's not dead?' _Her eye cracked open. "D-Did Haru stop the scary man?"

"Not quite, kid, but you did stop yourself from having a rather nasty wound." A womanly voice distracted her from the blindingly white form of the man on the ground and up toward a face that looked oddly familiar to her.

"Hey, kid. I heard you were in the area, but I didn't suspect you to look so young again." Hana's lips quirked up into a sympathetic smile. "You must have been scared, huh?"

Haru stared at the suited woman in shock. Not only had she almost been killed, but now an older Hana was standing in front of her, tucking away some nasty looking vials before she retrieved an empty one from the neck of the man. In shock, she watched the man convulse before he started to froth at the mouth and his muscles twitched in a disturbing way. Then his eyes, they started to-!

"Hey now, let's not watch anymore of that." Her eyes were suddenly covered up. "You're probably confused right now, so how about I fix us up some hot chocolate and we can talk. That sound okay?"

She didn't dare to open her eyes until Hana guided her to step over the body. Haru nodded weakly at the suggestion and scanned her grown-up friend's face, noting in daze how her face told her nothing was wrong, like they were just meeting up to talk about their newest crushed at the cafe in Namimori's shopping district.

"Come on, let's go. You don't have to worry now." Hana soothed her frayed nerves until they entered a random shop nearby and lifted up a floor tile to reveal a trap door. "You're in good hands now, so don't worry so much. We'll be seeing our friends soon."

And she earnestly believed it too, because she had enough scares for today. So, she let Hana shimmy her down the cramped hole and through the dirt tunnel because she wanted to believe she was safe in this foreign Namimori.

Tears loosened from her eyes once more, but she didn't bother Hana with them as she continued to crawl. Focusing on Hana's behind as she scrawled in front of her, she noted in the back of her head how she should tailor her skirt to make it more physical-activity friendly.

ᕦ[ •́ ﹏ •̀ ]⊃¤=[]::::::::)

Hana gazed over the rim of her coffee cup and through the steam of her black coffee at the younger version of Haru. The younger girl seemed to have relaxed within the hour as she sipped at the hot chocolate she was promised earlier, and while she had been more quiet than she remembered, she decided to attribute it to the shock of being almost murdered. Hana would have been more concerned with the possibility of PTSD if it wasn't for the knowledge that Haru would soon become a skilled spy specialized in covert operations as well as disguises, and not a mentally crippled girl that they'd have to take care of. The girl's passions for costumes and gymnastics had made her a valuable asset in this timeline, it was just unfortunate how her younger self happened to switch with their spy while she was on her rounds around Namimori. Once she heard from Giannini that younger versions of the tenth generation had appeared, she instantly went out to check on Haru only to find the spy's younger self in a rather compromising position.

Hana's eyebrows furrowed as she made a mental list of all the possible guardians and non-guardians who could have been sent to the future.

_'I hope Nakuka and Kyoko are okay. They should be fine since they're supposed to be with people, but who knows how much of that is true when we're scrambling to get all our bases covered. I should call Ryohei to make sure..."_

Her cheeks instantly warmed at the thought of the white haired boxer. The air between them seemed to be a bit different as of late and recently he started to appear more capable and handsome to her. In fact, they had already had a date a few months ago, but they hadn't had the time to go another, not when she had to spend her time developing poisons and he with his guardian work. Hana had been so wrapped up with her fluttering heart and tender thoughts that she almost missed Haru calling her name.

"Hana...-san?"

"Just Hana is fine." She cleared her throat. "Just because I'm older doesn't change the fact that we're friends."

"Haru is happy, she wasn't sure if it was okay to call you by your first name. Un..." Haru gazed at her hot chocolate before bringing it to her lips nervously. "H-How did you get involved in this scary mafia business? What happened to Namimori?"

"Well, that's a long story." Hana stood up to retrieve another cup of Joe. She's going to need it with how many all-nighters she had been pulling since Reborn had... Hana shook the thought away as she continued to drink the last batch of brew that Reborn had gifted her. It was rather lonely when their monthly coffee meet up was... unceremoniously cancelled. She cleared her throat and toasted to the deceased baby in her mind before turning her attention back to Haru.

"I came into the business the day after Nakuka had told us about the mafia. I had connected two and two together and figured out that the perverted nurse at our middle school was a part of that business, so I asked him to train me." She crinkled her nose at the thought of Shamal, but continued on. "Of course, he had been less than helpful at times... _many_ times, but he knew what he was doing and he did it well. And while his diseases were interesting and all, I wanted something in the subject that I was more interested in, namely chemistry. So, I asked Bianchi to train me in the art of poison. You already saw the success in that, though you didn't see the disaster my cooking skills had become once I trained under her. I couldn't boil water for weeks without it turning to purple goo."

She grimaced at the memory. Hana had gotten sick of Takesushi's salmon rolls within the first week and she would have eaten it for a longer period if Kyoko hadn't taken pity on her and gave her boxed lunches to take home.

"Anyway, things here had really gone down hill. A new mafia family had risen up in the ranks within the span of a few months, something that shouldn't be possible, and it was made even worse when they teamed up with the Giglio Neros. There were supposed to be two bosses, but we've only seen one name crop up whenever we researched the attacks behind towns and other families." Hana frowned at the memory while momentarily shutting her eyes in exhaustion. "We saw it coming. We knew they were going to attack the Vongola once they had enough power, but they attacked us much sooner than we thought and dispersed us from the inside out. Soon enough, they started to attack cities and targeting our weakness. Namimori can show the scars of that."

Her wavy tresses bounced as she turned her head to look at the desolate streets. She could still imagine the lively housewives chatting amongst each other while school children made their ways to class. So much could change within a year.

"Is everyone alright?"

The question surprised Hana more than it should have. It was an honest to goodness question that merely asked about their well beings, but that question rarely had a pleasant answer within the mafia, so it was rarely asked even within their own group. Nevertheless, she softened at Haru's earnest gaze. She still had a long way to go.

"Don't worry about that. Kyoko's capable of defending herself and should be with Ryohei, and Nakuka is tucked away at one of our bases."

The worry seemed to melt off of Haru's face and she soon went back to her hot chocolate in content, not catching Hana's little white lie. The older woman shrugged off the morality of lying to her young friend, there was no need to worry her with the truth. Sighing, Hana stood to make a call to Giannini, excusing herself from the table and leaving her drink to cool as she accessed a secure phone line on an old rotary phone she had stored under her living room cabinet.

"Hey, it's Hana. Called to say that I've collected Haru's younger self and that you should expect me to drop her off when I see that the coast is clear. Mnhm, okay. Thanks for the update, bye."

Pushing her bangs away from her face, Hana tiredly gazed at the entrance of her kitchen where Haru was blissfully unaware of how exactly shit this future had gotten. If it wasn't for the fact that most of her friends were still alive, then she would have given up long ago.

"Hana-chan, where's the honey?" Haru called from the kitchen.

"Honey,? Why do you need honey with hot chocolate?" Hana grumbled, but nevertheless, made her way to the kitchen in search of the sticky food.

* * *

The air in the Japanese styled room was less than desired. Nakuka sat stiffly in front of kimono-clad Kyoya while Mateo and Sal flanked her sides, not even Hamu was spared from the stifling atmosphere as he had concluded that staying silently on Nakuka's shoulder was the best option at the moment.

"Aha~ A-At least we got to meet up with each other. It's nice to see you're safe, H-Hibari-san. H-How's Kusakube-san?"

Just like classic Kyoya, all he had to do was look at Sal in order to make him clam up. Nakuka watched attentively, glancing between the nervous Sal, the glaring Mateo, and finally a calm Kyoya before deciding she had enough with all the silence.

"You're different." Kyoya's silver eyes slid to her, but he made no motion to address her as he elegantly tipped a saucer of sake to his lips. "Though, you also seem the same in some regards. I guess... you're less of an asshole, but more of a prick."

"And you're even more crass than I remembered."

"Sorry princess, should I tone it done for you? Don't wanna hurt your virgin ears."

To her surprise, and to Mateo's glee, Kyoya twitched in irritation as he calmly sat the drink onto the low table. She half expected him to bring his beloved tonfas out, but he never did.

_'He must have done some serious soul searching if he isn't resorting to violence so quickly.' _Nakuka raised an eyebrow, but declined to comment. She wouldn't test her luck.

"Don't call me by that name. I'd rather not be connected to such an egotistical assassin who cannot handle his own blood."

"You don't have to be so self conscious, _Kyoya-san_." Matteo smirked at the man before he yelped and glared daggers at Sal as the man retracted his leg under himself. Much to Nakuka's confusion, the two men seem to have some sort of bad blood between them; how troublesome, if she wanted drama, then she would have stayed home with Nana and watched her Saturday afternoon shows.

"Alright? Besides the animosity between you two, why are you so hostile towards Belphegor? He is a prick, and an asshole, and should probably burn in a ditch..." She paused as she imagined all the possible ways for the prince to die, but shook herself out of it. "Point is, I doubt you interacted with him much anyway. You barely interact with the main guardians in the first place."

"He's just bitter that you let that leech hang around you."

Sal chuckled shakily at Matteo's face. "You don't look or sound like you're any better, Matteo."

"Because I don't like it either, Na-nee-san shouldn't have to deal with fake princes like him."

"You sound like Fran..." Sal face screwed up into a strained smile as he muttered under his breath.

Nakuka had no idea what was going on. It was like the conversation was a ping pong ball and the three men were the players at a pro game. The conversation switched so quickly and she didn't quite understand or know the backstory of their bad blood, so the conversation was even harder to follow as they continued on. It didn't help that a new name was added in, someone she had no knowledge of. Thankfully, Kyoya stepped in, apparently fed up with the useless banter.

"You wanted to know about the current situation." It was a statement more than a question. He knew what she wanted.

"Why was in a coffin? And why does everything seem like it's gone to shit?"

"I-I think I can answer that." Sal solemnly lowered his hand once Nakuka directed her attention to him. "I'm most current with what's going on since T-Tanpopo was able to inform me before she disappeared."

"She's dead?"

He shook his head. "I don't know."

Nakuka nodded stiffly at the information. No news was good news at the moment.

"Continue."

"As far as I know, this all started a few months ago. Your future self said she was going to meet with Icarus, as you usually do, to do some more memory resistance training."

"In return, you train me in that stuff." Matteo rolled his wrist as he showed off the reincarnated mark the was located behind his ear. "But disregarding that, go on Salvador."

"Yes, well... You tend to handle the training well and never showed any signs of anything wrong. Not even Tanpopo had noticed anything and she had been accompanying you to his sessions for years, but then something changed." His eyes narrowed in pain. "You didn't come back one day, not for several days, and when we asked you about it, you did't act like anything was wrong.

"You started to lose yourself, started to lose your mind. It wasn't noticeable at first, but it soon became apparent to those around you. Once you noticed the state you were falling into, you decided to take matters into your own hands. You couldn't find a solution to the problem, so you found one more permanent." Sal's trembling hands stilled at a distant memory while he blankly stared at his upturned hands as if something was in it. His hands clenched and he gazed sorrowfully into Nakuka's wary eyes.

"You thought the only way out was to die, so you took your gun and shot yourself in the heart."

* * *

_Omake:_

Nakuka frowned at her destroyed shirt, fingering the stiff slit that exposed her abdomen. She held her hand out with a frown, curling her fingers towards herself as Icarus eyes it with a smile.

"Hm, what is it, Na-chan?"

"My shirt," she motioned towards it. "It's ruined, so pay for it."

"Huh? Pay for it? Na-chan isn't that a little-" Icarus' smile twitched and sweat beaded up on his forehead as the girl's eyes narrowed in annoyance, causing him to laugh uneasily and mutter under his breath. "R-right. Sure thing, Na-chan. Anything for you."

"Hmph," she swiped the wallet out of his hands.

"H-Hey, isn't taking my whole wallet a bit much?"

"I'll take a nice, _long_ shopping spree with this. Come one, Tanpopo."

The blonde girl sent Icarus a pitying smile, but he was too distracted with watching the folded leather square being tossed up and down in Nakuka's hand.

"Haha, that's okay." His voice wavered. "I have a lot of money."

To his luck, he heard Nakuka call over her shoulder. "Don't expect me to go easy on the credit cards!"

"...Maybe, I should just kill her now."

"Sorry, Zio."

Tanpopo patted his shoulder before also running off to spend her uncle's money, leaving Icarus to mourn his empty pockets.

* * *

Three days later, Icarus still hadn't received his wallet. It was when he opened up his online banking to see the damage that the two girls have done to his finances.

"How do you even spend so much money on a dress?!" The desk cracked under his grip just like his smile. In an delirious state of amusement, he muttered under his breath.

"You even hit the limit on my card. A one hundred million yen limit... You really are amazing, Na-chan..."

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

**Once again guys, sorry this chapter took so long to get out. I've been extremely busy and with how much work I have, I'm not able to write as much as a result. Oh, and I also got a job, so that's another thing.**

**In truth, the chapter felt like nothing really happened in it to me, so I'm not entirely in love with it, but I felt like I needed to get something out there since this has been sitting in my doc manager since September 2015. I hope you guys can forgive me for taking so long. T_T**

**ddmahan922: Oh man, that would be so drama filled which I frankly love, but sadly they were not able to see that moment. But it would have been intense if they had!**

**Singular Poisonous Ashes: Totes, it would have been great if Nakuka would have been made him pay her back. Thus, an omake was born!**

**Grizzmon: Well, you're not wrong with how sketchy of a character Icarus is. Good on you for noticing his personality traits.**

**CheekySaku: Oh, I see. That's fine. In truth, I had no idea where this story was going for such a long time. Though, I think I know where it's going (or at least how it's going to end).**

**kksambo: Yes, yes, such a tough decision, isn't it? Too bad I'm not gonna make it any easier and bombard you readers with tons of friendship scenes between Nakuka and the cannon characters! :D Though, I suppose it doesn't matter since you chose **

**Viviene001: Thanks for going through the trouble of reviewing. I really love seeing people comment! And who knows~ ;)**

**yukaraii: There has suddenly been an increase of people liking NakukaXTanpopo (Tankuka... tanuki?). It's really amusing to me. Oh! I also like that story. Yeah, I could see her having one of those flames, but I just didn't want her to be too overpowered with mist or be a Hibari clone with cloud (though I guess it could have worked it out anyway). And thanks for the encouragement! -thumbs up back at you-**

**XxTealJadexX: Oh, don't worry. I'll definitely be toning him down for my story. I just can't stand for bratty, whiny children. And yes, now the Varia are back again! :) And geez, that is a lot of ships (though I'm interested to see which one people like the most). As I said with kksambo, I'm gonna make this difficult for the readers to decide (because it's amusing and I enjoy friendship scenes).**

**PrinceKat: Well, either way people can most likely choose if they want Nakuka to be single or with someone, judging by the route I'm on right now (don't worry, it's not too romanced focused, just heavy friendship). Oh boy, you'd be like the third person to ship Tankuka. XD That's so funny, but I can totally understand why people would support it. Anyway, glad to see you've got an account now. :)**

**Innieminnie: Hey thanks for reviewing. I'm actually surprised that you ship her with no one, it's pretty funny. And I'm sorry about the reviews at the end tricking you into thinking there is more to the chapter, I just like to communicate with reviewers. :P Anyway, thanks for reading!**

**97chaoscat: And yet another one has fallen victim to the Tankuka ship. *fans self* Oh lordy!**

**Shinoki: That's a first. I don't usually see people saying that they like yuri. That's pretty great, thanks for reviewing. :P**


	21. Author's Update

6 September 2016 (Update)

Hey, well um, this is a bit awkward. ^_^'

So, I'm sure that some of you may have noticed that I haven't really delivered on that promise to update, yet and I'm sorry for that. Honestly, I've kinda been messing around and then college just started for me, so I've been kinda busy with my social life, homework, and overall trying not to die (getting sick sucks).

I'll try to work on this next chapter this weekend and get it out when I have the time. But if it makes you guys happy, I do have some plans on how the end is gonna go, a bit of bullshit deux ex machina (at least I hope it's not too bullshit and convenient since I kinda like it) and an epilogue to give closure.

Anyway, hopefully you guys aren't too upset with me and still willing to keep reading (maybe I'll give a summary of what has happened so that it catches people up to speed? Honestly, I've forgotten quite a bit too. What do you guys think?).

Thanks for supporting Red Spider Lilies, hope to see you guys soon!

* * *

27 June 2016

Hey guys, it's been a while!

I'm just putting up an Author's Note to let you guys know that _I will_ update this fanfic. I just need to go over notes and my own story again (which I'm dreading since this is my first long fic, so this is gonna be cringey) so that my plot doesn't go to absolute shit.

Anyway, I admittedly did lose some interest in this fanfiction, thus explaining the long periods of no updates, but I didn't want to abandon you guys like that (especially since I did see that people liked my story based off some of the suggestions on tumblr. The feedback was nice). There was also the fact that my desktop went poopy on me, so I had trouble accessing my notes.

Beside that, this note will be up for a little bit before I update the next chapter, then I'll delete it.

Sorry for making you guys wait. In the meantime, why don't you guys tell me what you'd like to see in this story and anything you think I should add, like some funny instances (I might add them into the chapter if I have the time).

Once again, sorry for the wait!

\- MusicOfMadness


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